


What Billy Saw ...

by CanuckleheadCowgirl, magnetocerebro



Series: The 714 Marvel Universe [38]
Category: Avengers (Comics), X-Men (Comicverse), Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: 2nd Generation Avengers, 2nd Generation X-Men, 714 Universe branch, AU of an AU, Afterlife, Angst, Branched off reality, Everything is awful, Gen, Grieving, Growing Pains, Heartbreak, Mayhem, Multiple Major Character Deaths, Murder, So much angst, Suicide, Tragedy, Young Love, cautious parents, different timeline in an AU, more tags to come as chapters warrant them, world-reaching consequences
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:53:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 71
Words: 350,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21997054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanuckleheadCowgirl/pseuds/CanuckleheadCowgirl, https://archiveofourown.org/users/magnetocerebro/pseuds/magnetocerebro
Summary: While you can absolutely read this as a standalone and understand it fully (and we'll provide a quick explanation during the crossover event between this universe and our other universe), this is an AU of our ongoing AU. It'll all make sense soon as to why we're showing you this, but if there's too much fluff to be found in our 714 Universe, fear not. There is precious little that is fluffy here and honestly, a whole lot of misery and angst and awful.This is the universe that can drive the demiurge mad. And he can't do a thing to stop it.
Relationships: America Chavez/Kate Bishop, Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, Cyclops/Phoenix, Hawkeye/Black Widow, James Howlett Jr/Billy Maximoff, Kate Bishop/Nate Summers, Logan/K (OC), Mia Wagner/Tommy Maximoff, Ororo Munroe/Kurt Wagner, Scarlet Witch/Vision, Scott Summers/Jean Grey, Storm/Nightcrawler, Wolverine/K
Series: The 714 Marvel Universe [38]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/552748
Comments: 5
Kudos: 60





	1. The Beginning of the End

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of our 714 Universe in that it coincides alongside it - and will tie in with it at a later point. But before it ties in, we need to lay down the groundwork of awful. So ... if you feel like kicking something or are just overly angsty, you've come to the right place. If you are looking for sunshine and fluff, I invite you to return to the safety of the mainstream of the 714 ... for now.

Things in Westchester had been incredibly busy, and not just because Kurt and Ororo had just seen their little girl through her first birthday.

Mia was by far the most distinctive of the little ones in the mansion, with her mother's shock white hair but her father's blue fur and tail — which she loved to use to curl around whoever was closest, including K and Logan's little boy as well as both Rachel and Nate Summers. Rachel was old enough to be a good, careful big sister, though Nate and James, at two and three years old respectively, were just as likely to roughhouse as be gentle, to Logan's amusement and Scott's consternation.

It had been a little over six years since Jean and Scott had kicked off the parade of kids, so things had been busy for at least that long when it came to nurturing their growing families.

But now? Now, on top of the kind of busyness that the X-Men actually _enjoyed_ , the Friends of Humanity had gained serious followers under their newest leader — Graydon Creed, surprising absolutely no one who knew that family name and knew it meant trouble. So the X-Men were swamped with more than skinned knees and first steps.

In the past few weeks, the rallies the X-Men had been called to had been increasingly violent and extreme. They were obviously taking cues from the genetic predisposition for the worst kinds of revenge that Graydon Creed exemplified. It wasn't terribly _new_ , honestly. The calls for extermination, the "threat to humankind," all of it was the same old same old, at least in terms of the rhetoric used. But it wasn't just words at this point. Now, the X-Men were _lucky_ if the only violence was counter protest clashes. More often than not, the Friends of Humanity would round up some mutants and put action to their words.

The mansion was busy, filling quickly with rescues.

This latest rally was no exception. The Friends of Humanity had gotten their hands on a pair of sisters. And really, as soon as Logan and K had seen how hurt, scared, and _young_ those girls were, the rest of the team was practically superfluous. It didn't matter what Scott said at that point. The ferals _were_ going to go after those girls, and they _were_ going to destroy anything and anyone in between them and the girls.

Kurt shook his head and put a hand on Scott's shoulder even as the ferals did their work. "Really, they are only reaping what they sowed."

Scott narrowed his eyes at that. It wasn't that he didn't know exactly how Logan and K reacted to kids in danger. But he knew Creed knew it, and so did his son. And like father, like son — Scott knew either one of them wouldn't hesitate to play up that angle.

It had already happened a few times: some reporter would catch only the snarls and not the small kids in danger, and it would only add more fuel to the fire for people calling them dangerous animals and uncontrolled terrorists. But this was different. No gloating Creed. No reporters. Something was off.

Whatever it was, it wasn't immediately obvious, though that just had Scott frowning to himself. The crowd had dispersed almost too easily once Logan and K were through… though for as badly hurt as the girls were, the priority was on getting back to Westchester, not unraveling whatever Graydon Creed was up to this time. Hank was already triaging the sisters, who were hanging on tightly to Logan and K, almost buried in them, as all kids under a certain age tended to do in situations like this.

 _You're worried,_ Jean projected to Scott.

_Of course I am. These rallies have been getting worse every time. There's got to be something else going on under the surface. This was too easy._

_I bet we'll find out when the news picks it up when we get home._

Scott let out a long sigh. _I'm sure._

 _Scott._ Jean reached over to take his hand. _We'll deal with it. After we get home and spend some time with the kids._

As the group settled in for their admittedly short flight, Logan and K were carefully cataloguing every single injury the two little girls had sustained, quietly sharing looks and assisting Hank any way they could to get the kids comfortable and more prepared for a _real_ examination. But it was clear to the rest of their teammates that the two of them were simply simmering over all of it.

"We can't keep playing defensively," Kurt muttered, his arms crossed as he watched Logan and K.

"We still don't know where Creed has his headquarters set up," Scott said, the frustration obvious in his tone.

"There has to be a way to find it," Kurt replied quietly, though he knew he wasn't going to be able to keep the conversation from the Howletts. Not that he was trying to. For as truly evil as the Friends of Humanity had become under Graydon Creed, he wouldn't stop his best friend or his wife from doing what they did best and solving the problem. "He is escalating. With _children_. I know you're nowhere near as calm as you're trying to appear."

Scott let out a slow and measured breath before he rubbed a spot on his forehead. "I know the professor is looking," he said. "He's careful about telepathic shielding. And he's careful about his patterns."

"Then perhaps we ask K nicely to look down the more … hidden paths," Kurt said with a wicked little smirk. "Give her whatever weapons she wants and just …" Kurt shrugged. "Let nature take its course."

"That's not a good idea," Scott said. "They're _trying_ to bait us into something. You know they are. This was too easy." He gestured to the two ferals. "They're escalating, like you said. But this time? They backed off."

"Then I hate to see what it is they do to the next child that crosses their path."

"That's _not_ what I meant."

"I know," Kurt said, sounding weary and more than a little frustrated himself. "I'm just tired of seeing it happen. It's not a criticism, really. I just … think that perhaps they'd regret their life choices if Logan and K were to actually start hunting them properly."

"We have to draw lines somewhere, Kurt," Scott said.

"I know, and you and the Avengers have it all worked out on where those lines are," Kurt said almost in a breath. "Easy for them to choose the lines when they aren't fighting _this_ fight."

Scott narrowed his eyes, but it wasn't obvious behind the visor. "You know I've already tried to talk to them. Many times." In fact, he and the Avengers were no longer on speaking terms after he told them flat out that they were turning their backs to a genocide — and he wasn't going to retract a word of what he'd said, either.

"I know," Kurt agreed. "They only want to set the rules, not _help_." He held up both hands. "But I'm not trying to pick a fight, Scott."

"Good. Because I've already tried to fight that fight. We can't wear ourselves out." Scott leaned back and let out a breath. "If we can't find Creed… if this keeps up…"

"We'll find him," Kurt said.

"One way or another," Scott said.

"In the meantime … these two … I'm torn on if they should have family or not," Kurt said with the first whisper of a smirk. "If not, we may need to make arrangements to expand Logan and K's suite…"

Scott gave Kurt a dry look. "Oh come on," he said. "You're just hoping for another one because _I_ got the godfather title for James. Admit it."

"Ah, but for that, I'm hoping for a _newborn_ ," Kurt countered. "This … I am hoping he continues his streak of adopting lost little girls. Even if it's not _official._ "

"Like any of us can stop him."

"Yes, well … that was sort of my opening argument without trying to say as much. I should have been more blunt."

Jean finally leaned over Scott with a smile. "After a mission like that?" she asked. "Always be blunt. I think all of us are too tired for subtlety."

"Except, of course, for the three very quiet adults in the back," Kurt said. "The ones whispering to the little girls."

Ororo smirked and took Kurt's hand in hers. "You're always finding a way to be caught up in future happiness," she teased.

"It's a tough job …" Kurt said in a sigh, smiling crookedly.

"But you'll do it in style," she said, smiling even wider.

"Speaking of future happiness…" Jean said, smirking between the two of them.

"If you're not telling me about a future niece or nephew, I do not want to hear it," Kurt said with his chin tipped up just to irritate her.

Jean rolled her eyes and nudged him telekinetically just to do it. "Oh, do we have to do all the work?" she teased.

"Not that we'd complain," Scott muttered, though that got Jean to hit him with the back of her hand.

"Not who I was pointing at," Kurt said before he reached over to 'adjust' one of the levers just out of Scott's reach with his tail. "But please, carry on."

"I think we will," Jean said before Scott could say anything. "After a mission like that… we need something to unwind…"

"She's not wrong," Ororo teased Kurt, just because it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

The flirting definitely helped to lessen a lot of the anger the team still had over the way the rally had gone. Of course, they knew they were going to have to go after Creed when they got home, but at least some of the harsh tones had left the conversation. The girls had even managed to fall asleep with Logan and K before they came anywhere near the approach to land, not that it helped the two ferals to express what they were actually _thinking_ of doing once they got back.

Whatever their thoughts were, though, that went out the window when they got close enough to Westchester to see evidence of a fight. There was a trail of icy destruction leading out into the forest, not to mention plenty of evidence of weaponry. But Jubilee had left the biggest imprint, with half a wing blown out, obviously from the inside, where she'd fought back.

And considering she was the one watching the kids while the rest of the team was out...

"Kurt," Logan said softly. "Get us down there _now_."

Kurt nodded quickly, teleporting down with Logan and K, while Jean reached out telepathically to see where the others were. _I can't contact the professor,_ she warned.

 _We'll find him anyhow,_ Kurt projected back before he teleported away from where K and Logan were to search for Charles.

 _What about everyone else?_ Scott projected to Jean, clutching the controls a little tighter as he landed the blackbird.

 _Nothing so far,_ she replied, frowning deeply. _But … you know they might just be unconscious ..._

Scott only narrowed his eyes further at that, his jaw tightly locked. He didn't say it out loud or project it, but he was sure this was the escalation he'd been worried about.

On the ground, while Kurt was teleporting from one room to the next, getting more and more concerned with what he found, Logan and K were climbing through the wreckage looking for any sign of Jubilee or the kids … though that search split fast when they moved a section of wall to find Jubilee. She wasn't moving _at all_ , and the list of injuries on her that were clearly _not_ connected to the explosion she'd created …

Logan barely took a breath to swear to himself before he started _frantically_ working to revive her, the rest of the search momentarily at a standstill while she so clearly needed help — so it was K that hit the comm.

"We need Hank, right now," K said, her voice constricted as she tried to help where she could. "Jubilee …" And the fact that K didn't _finish_ what she was going to say was proof enough of how rough it was down there. "I don't see the kids anywhere …"

"We'll find them," Scott promised over the comm. "We're here. We'll look for the kids; Hank is coming your way."

Hank was, in fact, already bounding over as fast as he could, but before he got there, Jean very nearly felt all of her breath leave her when she felt the wave of _shock_ hit Logan as he finally accepted that Jubilee was honestly beyond his help.

"Jean?" Scott stepped forward to catch her when it looked like she might falter.

Jean glanced up at Scott and opened her mind just enough for him to hear what she knew — though when he heard it, Scott's reaction was more anger than anything else, an almost blind fury that Jean hadn't heard from him before as they both rushed to catch up to the others.

When they caught up, Hank had done his best to try and reverse the situation, but Logan was clearly just _lost_ as he watched Hank work, and K had gone the other direction entirely and was pushing harder to find a scent or _something_ that would give her a trail to follow to find the kids. But that was hard to suss out when the air was thick with ozone from the massive plasmoid that had taken out that section of the school. Hank looked up at Scott and Jean as they arrived and minutely shook his head.

Jean had one hand over her mouth, but that didn't muffle the noise that escaped her all the same. And Scott crossed the space to where Logan was to put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll stop him," he said, "whatever it takes."

Logan didn't respond at all, and for the first time, Hank had to wonder if Logan had even _heard_ what Scott had said.

Honestly, none of them were thinking clearly, all of them in obvious shock. So none of them were paying enough attention until a few of the intruders — several Friends of Humanity members — were practically on top of them. And Graydon Creed was at the head of the group, with Mia Wagner asleep in his arms and curled up with her tail around his wrist.

K was the first to start growling — not exactly with it but absolutely ready to fight anyhow. Partly in the kids defense but also automatically trying to cover whatever Logan wasn't quite up to yet.

Creed smirked, his expression carrying all the malice his father had. "That won't help them," he said.

"Even your _dad_ wasn't low enough to threaten kids, you slimy, lowdown bottom feeder," K managed through the growl. "What a time to prove you're like your _mother._ "

Creed narrowed his eyes at that before he let out a frustrated noise. "I'm better than either of them," he snapped. "Because I have defeated the X-Men." He tipped his chin. "The other three children are already gone. This one is only proof and insurance. Give yourselves up and they live. Anything less than a full surrender, any attempt to fight back, and they all die."

By that time, Kurt and Storm had arrived as well, and it was clear that they were both locked onto Mia. They hadn't found any survivors of the assault, though they hadn't found Kitty, Bobby, or Charles' bodies, either. Seeing Mia alive was heartening, but seeing her in danger had both of them on the edge of the worst kind of panic. And close by, Jean had fire in her gaze, one hand on Scott's arm as she tried to hold back what could too easily be destruction of the kind that would endanger Mia, too, considering how little control she had over her own emotions at the moment. And K and Logan shared a look in stark silence. Those that knew them best were pretty sure they'd already had a plan in place for just such an occasion — but no one knew what it was. Or if it was even feasible.

Creed tipped his head toward his men, who spread out to surround the X-Men. "Now or never."

For a long moment, there was only silence before, finally, Scott bit out a "fine" that he barely got through gritted teeth.

When the soldiers came closer, they were understandably wary of the group — though they had measures for each of them to keep them from causing too much trouble. For Kurt and Storm, they brought collars, and once they had them subdued, they were dragged over and tossed into a small, dark compartment in the transportation the Friends of Humanity had brought. At least they were together.

For Jean and Scott, there were collars as well, though they weren't placed in the same cell as Kurt and Ororo. They were both tightly bound and blindfolded before they were thrown in together in a different transport. With the collars on, they couldn't reach out like they usually did through their connection, but neither one of them had anything to say when they were both furious.

And for the ferals, as expected, even though they weren't fighting back, there was an obvious level of force in play. Several soldiers to each of them, a set of gloves on both that would keep them from using their claws — and just for extra insurance, their hands were bound behind their backs before they were pushed into separate travelling cells from the others with bags over their heads as well.

Not one of the X-Men knew where they were headed or even where the others were. They still didn't know what had happened to Bobby, Kitty, or Charles, either — and all things considered, they didn't have much reason to be optimistic.


	2. Malicious Compliance

When the X-Men were finally done travelling and dragged to their separate cells, it was clear at least to Logan and K that it was only going to get worse. The setup was familiar in that each cell was just close enough to the others that they'd be able to see what was happening while still being far enough away from them to be unable to offer any kind of reassurance. But … when it was clear that Ororo was up to something, that was when the real trouble started.

As always, she had her lockpicks hidden in different parts of her jewelry - she was rarely without _something_ that she could use, after all. She was quiet, quick, and could manage a complicated pick without looking like she was doing anything with her hands at all, so when the guard pushing her around tried to shove her into her cell, she took the shot and hooked one of his feet with hers - yanking him off balance hard enough that when he hit the floor it was with a resonating _crack_.

Kurt grinned impishly at her. " _Wunderbar,_ " he said. "Now, let's find Mia."

Ororo smirked at him and got to work - to remove his collar _first,_ though she'd handed him a spare pick so he could start on the cuffs. "The second tumbler in these is a bit sticky," she told him with a smirk just before she'd managed to un-do the first part of the latch in his collar.

Kurt was nodding and smiling her way, but anyone who watched his tail could see that it was still entirely, so it was clear he was only flirting as a means of trying to keep himself and Ororo calm. He couldn't possibly be _serious_ about it. Not when his mind was clearly on getting to Mia.

"You're next," Ororo warned, looking over Kurt's shoulder to Jean.

"Good. The sooner I can find the kids, the sooner we can burn this place to the ground," Jean said, and even with the collar on, the fire was burning just at the centers of her eyes.

"The sooner you're freed, the sooner you can _disassemble_ these idiotic collars," Ororo said, the wicked, troublemaking smirk in place.

"Sure, let me do all the work," Jean shot back with a little smirk.

"And let us do the dashing rescue," Kurt said, smiling a little wider when the collar came off a moment before the cuffs did as well. He grinned and stole a quick kiss from Storm before he went to teleport off in search of the kids - but instead of teleporting, Kurt found himself still standing in front of Storm… and with an alarm blaring in his ears.

"Get out of here," Scott snarled out over the sound of the alarm.

Logan and K were both almost writhing on the floor, still with their hands bound behind their backs so they couldn't _stop_ the sound of the screaming alarms from reaching their ears. Which was when the rest of the X-Men realized that those two _hadn't_ been collared and that there was something the rest of the X-Men _couldn't hear_ hidden in those alarms for as much pain as the Howletts were in.

Kurt stared at Logan and K for a moment before the sound of the door at the end of the hallway bursting open reached their ears over the alarms, and both Ororo and Kurt glanced at each other before they burst forward to fight back.

It was a solid fight - even without all of their skills to aid them, but the sheer number of soldiers was more than the two of them were used to handling. Try as they might - and for as hard as they fought, they were first separated from each other … and then it was clear that punishment was going to be swift.

The guards didn't even try to search Ororo for more lockpicks before one of the guards made the call to pull out what amounted to a rather small - and very dark looking box. There were small gaps in odd places, but for the most part, the box looked solid. "Keep your lockpicks," the soldier said. "You can't reach out to the locks anyhow."

" _Lass sie sein,_ " Kurt hissed out, though that only had the guard holding him slamming a fist in his stomach to double him over.

"We'll get to you in a minute," the soldier said with an almost lazy wave. It took four of them to force Ororo into the box and get it closed, but Jean looked ready to murder every one of them with her bare hands if need be. Even without telepathy, every one of the X-Men there knew how _terrified_ Ororo was of tight, dark spaces.

And of course, once Ororo was contained, the guards manhandled Kurt back into the collar and cuffs, though not before they left him badly battered and bruised, so even if he had been able to slip out again, he wouldn't have been able to fight his way out.

Before the guards left, they took the time to look over to the others and a pair of them made their way over to at least get the bags off of Logan and K, though as the guy in charge started out his warning to the others about 'waiting their turn' the one nearest K took a hold of her foot to start dragging her out of the cell, which she took offense to, of course.

There was a wicked kicking session that more or less ended when the soldiers got her boots pulled off and then teamed up to beat on her before they dragged her out, still trying to kick at them, still growling and spitting out curses in Swedish between her still clenched teeth. And for the first time since the nightmare had really started, Logan was growling low.

"This isn't about keeping humanity safe," Scott shouted at the retreating guards. "This is sick! _Sadistic_. And you know it!" But of course, none of them were listening, and the door slammed shut with a sickening finality. He let out a frustrated noise and sat back against the back of his cell, though it wasn't helping anyone's mood when the silence was only broken by Kurt very softly telling Ororo in both German and English that she was safe - not that it was doing much good when she was clearly panicked.

It took some time, but finally, Ororo seemed to begin to get herself settled out … so naturally, once she was exhausted from the sheer terror - that was when they could hear what was going on one floor up. It was very distant, but it quite obviously screaming. For a moment or two, they were all hoping it wasn't K, but a gasped out curse in Swedish wrecked that hope neatly.

The screams went on for a little while before Logan spoke up. "Don't react."

"What are you talking about?" Jean asked through her teeth.

"That's what they want. Don't react. Whatever they did, don't … _acknowledge_ it."

"Logan, they took my - they took _all_ of our kids, they're torturing your _wife_ , they-"

"That's just the start," Logan growled out.

"And what the hell makes you think we're not going to react?" Scott shot back angrily. "That's our _family_ on the line! We _still_ don't know where the kids are - or the professor or anyone that was at the school!"

"I know," Logan said quietly, though at that, he was already clearly retreating into his own thoughts with a tentative expression.

"Logan," Kurt said softly. "What now?"

"They break everyone down," Logan replied after a long pause, gesturing toward the ceiling, wordlessly pointing out that they had _K_ up there, and from the sounds of it, might even be making headway with her. "And then they'll get what they want."

"Which is what - beyond their own sadistic pleasure?" Kurt asked.

"I don't know," Logan said. "But this is basic torture and manipulation. It's intense, but it's still simple, far as I can tell."

"If they wanted us dead, we'd be dead," Scott said, tipping his head Logan's way. "So this isn't extermination. This is about weapons."

Logan clearly wasn't focused on anything as he slowly shrugged. "Maybe."

"What else can it be?" Kurt asked. "That's always the case - it's either death or slavery for mutants in the minds of people like this."

"This isn't just used on mutants," Logan muttered.

The group of them fell silent, though it was obvious none of them were able to quite push down the honest hurt, anger, and worry running through the whole cell block. Especially after the screaming from upstairs _stopped_ and silence rang out instead. That was somehow worse.

So when, an hour later, the guards came and went straight to Logan's cell, the "don't react" rule went right out the window. Kurt swore in an almost demonic sounding German as his growls and snarls accented the already angry words, but Scott was louder and in a language the guards actually spoke.

"Keep your hands off him or not one of you is getting out the other side of this in one piece," Scott snapped at the guard leading the charge into the cell.

Logan couldn't help but frown Scott's way for that, though it was clear Scott didn't have any means to back it up, which only made the statement that much more confusing to Logan as the guards jostled him and dragged him out of the cell.

Whatever Logan had been expecting, though, it absolutely wasn't to find himself taken to a room where Bobby was tied up and suspended between two very large and obvious heat lamps on either side of him. He was dehydrated, sweaty and exhausted, though he looked surprised to see Logan there too.

"Here's the deal," one of the guards said, holding onto Logan's shoulder as he said it. "You want him to live through what we're dishing out? Then _you_ dish it."

"What." Logan turned toward the guard with a clear glare. "No."

"Fine," the guard said. "We'll just turn up the heat, then."

"What the hell's wrong with you," Logan growled, jerking his shoulder away from the guard that still had his hand on him. "You don't need to do this to him. You got a question, he'll probably just answer it."

"That's not the point," the guard said. "But if you're volunteering for the interrogation, we'll get to that, too."

"No, that's … what the hell do you want from the kid?"

"Absolutely nothing," the guard told him with a sneer. "Which is why it doesn't matter if he lives or dies."

Logan shook his head at that. "If that was the case, you sure as hell wouldn't be askin' me to beat on him. What'd stop you from just killin' him anyhow?"

"Too cool to die," Bobby said, whisper-quiet.

The guard spared Bobby a look and then turned back to Logan. "No one on my detail wants to wipe noses and deal with screaming toddlers. That's his only use."

Logan turned his way with an honest growl. "Izzat some kinda crack on my wife?"

"You asked what's stopping us killing your teammate? We need a babysitter for the brats until the mini-muties are old enough to be _useful_."

"What." The word was far more growl than anything else, and Logan didn't even think before he had turned on the guard and laid into him hard. He might have brought Logan there to beat on Bobby, but that had backfired spectacularly.

Of course, the guard wound up on the ground and hurting pretty fast, but there were enough guards in the detail that it was really just a numbers game for Logan before they'd pulled him off their leader and gotten him more or less restrained - though for what it was worth, Logan could hear Bobby whispering just under the guards' hearing range, "Asked for it."

Logan almost managed a grim sort of smirk as the guards kept him pressed into the floor. Their leader needed medical intervention and the lesser guards really didn't know what to do with Logan at that point.

At least until Graydon Creed showed up and walked past where Logan was being pressed down to glare at Bobby and crank up the heat to full blast. He wasn't looking at Logan, but it was clear that's who he was addressing as he spoke. "I know it's hard to get anything through that thick skull of yours," he said. "So let me explain in small terms. I tell you to do something, you do it. I don't care how many of your little friends we go through before you follow instructions; I've got plenty to pick from."

"Is that your deal with everyone?" Logan growled out.

"The ones I can use."

"Where's my wife?" Logan asked in a lower growl.

"Not here."

"No kidding. Where is she?"

Graydon simply smirked before he lashed out and kicked Bobby in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. "Not here. You're not in control here, _Weapon X,_ " Graydon told Logan before he kicked Bobby again. "What do you think will be worse - dehydration or internal bleeding? Both will take a while."

Logan couldn't come up with anything snarky when he was honestly concerned about the kids and K and their missing members, and though he had plenty of threats, he honestly didn't want to give Graydon any ideas, so the only thing he _could_ do was to clench his jaw and … growl.

"Typical," Graydon said in a sigh before his next blow sent Bobby reeling again.

"Logan, c'mon," Bobby ground out. "Just… get it over with."

Logan's growl stopped almost instantly on hearing it, though it still took a moment for him to get a handle on himself - eyes shut tight as he shook his head. "Popsicle …"

"S'okay," Bobby promised. "Only way you could beat me."

"Fine," Logan finally breathed out. When the men holding him down finally let him up - after Graydon was safely out of the way - Logan shook his head lightly to himself and drew in a deep breath before he started working Bobby over, even if he _may_ have broken a few of Graydon's unspoken rules. Like by cutting him down first so Bobby wasn't a punching bag. Or by making sure that the hits he was taking would _look_ absolutely horrible in the next quarter hour, but weren't actually _bad_ blows that would cause deeper, lasting damage. But even at that, it was clear that when Bobby was on the floor in a lump that Logan felt like total trash.

Eventually, a few more guards arrived - reinforcements not just to move Logan but to move Bobby too, which was at least enough for Logan to see they weren't just going to finish Bobby off if they were moving him. But it wasn't doing much for his mood when he got back to where the others were - sans Hank, and with K still missing.

"Logan?" Kurt breathed out once Logan was locked back in.

But of course, Logan turned away from the group as a whole and kept quiet as he folded in on himself.

* * *

It didn't take long for the rest of the X-Men to learn the score. Not that any of them were really in a state to _say_ anything even when they were around each other. The tight, familial connections they had all enjoyed were being strained, and they hadn't been prepared for it.

Kurt was surprised, then, when he was escorted to just outside a room where he could see, on the other side of the glass, that Nate was snuggling a very black and blue Bobby (who was being attended to by another of their missing members in Hank) while Kitty looked to be at her wits end trying to console kids that hadn't seen their parents for far too long.

He was staring at Mia in particular, who had a look of fury so much like her mother's that Kurt very nearly smiled simply because of the similarities. But that went out the window when one of the guards snapped something around his wrist.

"GPS," the guard explained. "Any unauthorized teleportation and the computer sends out a subsonic burst. Ought to fry the brains of anyone in a twenty yard radius."

Kurt narrowed his eyes and bared his teeth, unconsciously moving his hand with the GPS further from the kids. The guard didn't have to spell out the rest of it: if he tried to teleport to the kids, he would kill them.

And it didn't escape his notice that Rachel, the oldest, had a similar clunky bracelet on, but the guards didn't share the details on that one just yet.

Instead, they took Kurt to a staging area, and he was both surprised and relieved to see K there, even if she looked like she was just waiting for an opportunity to figure out how to make these guys pay for every single insult.

As usual, Graydon himself was keeping distance, so it was one of his lieutenants that explained the mission: "Magneto sent some of his group to Westchester to investigate the institute. Kill as many as you can, but leave one to tell Magneto who sent you - and tag them. We'll pick up whoever you miss and the one you tag later."

Kurt looked toward K, but when she had nothing to add, he simply nodded. He waited until the smoke had cleared from the teleport before he turned her way. "I know where the little ones are, but I can't 'port to them," he told her, his tone ringing with anger and frustration.

"I know," K said through gritted teeth.

"Then do you know what Rachel is wearing?" Kurt asked.

K gestured to Kurt's wrist. "Same thing you are, only they hit the button if I don't do what I'm told."

Kurt let out a growl from the back of his throat. "I'm going to kill him as soon as we get out of this," he swore.

"Okay," she said half under her breath. "You do that."

Kurt let out a breath when he heard it. "We _are_ getting out of this," he said. "I don't know how yet, but he _will_ make a mistake, and then we end him. That is the only way this can end for him."

K turned his way for a moment and simply watched him for a long moment. "I don't know if they have you with me now for ease of transport or to wreck your hope."

"It will take more than this to wreck that," Kurt said.

"I doubt we'll all get out of this, Kurt. But I wish you luck."

Kurt frowned at her tone. " _Nein, mein Freund,"_ he said gently as he rested his hand on her shoulder. "If we do not all make it out, then none of us will truly survive. Thus, I choose to believe we _will_ escape."

"Right. Well, in the meantime, this is my downtime. Waiting for Magneto's guys to show their faces."

"At least you have good company," Kurt said in a soft attempt to tease.

"In who?" K asked with a frown as they started to work their way around the edge of the forest.

"The best looking X-Man, of course."

K shook her head at that though, clearly not herself at _all_. "I'm alone except for the creeps that keep tapping out."

Kurt let out a breath. "Back there, _ja_ , but not _now._ Focus on that. None of us have seen you in some time, and it is a relief to find you alive." He gave her a tight smile. "See? Hope."

K was still for a long while - much longer than Kurt had seen her take to reply to such a simple, open statement of _fact._ He was starting to wonder if she was going to respond at all when she finally did - very quietly. "I've dealt with a lot of manipulation and torture rackets, fuzzy Elf. I've never found one until now that didn't bother taking breaks. This … I can't even think."

Kurt let his shoulders fall and then pulled her into a hug. "K…" He let the sentence fall. "I _will_ kill them. I promise."

For a moment, K leaned into the hug, but only for a moment. "We have a job to do," she said in a flat tone.

Kurt frowned at her tone but decided not to press her - all threats considered - and simply followed her once she had picked up the scent for a few of the Brotherhood flunkies. And they somehow weren't surprised to find the usual suspects of Toad and the Blob, plus Pyro and Quicksilver all looking over the rubble and speculating on the X-Men's sticky end.

Kurt glanced to K. "Well then…"

"I've got the speedster," K said before she started to limp _obviously_. "Leave the most worthless one alive."

"So I will need to have a long chat with Toad. Lovely," Kurt said, though he didn't have any of his usual light tone, and he teleported off to catch the Bob's attention.

K's little act seemed to work wonders. She limped partway out of the forest, and when she thought she was far enough away that the others wouldn't try to follow Quicksilver, she made sure to call out for help before she stumbled a little. If that didn't draw him in fast, she wasn't sure what would. He had been an Avenger, after all; he was still a hero somewhere inside him.

Sure enough, Quicksilver caught up to her in a flash, one hand under her arm before she could slip the rest of the way to the ground. "What's going on?" He asked over her shoulder. "This doesn't look like Boom Boom got carried away."

"No," K replied, though before he knew what hit him, she sent a fist full of claws through his chest. "And I'm sorry for this."

Quicksilver looked honestly shocked, instinctively holding onto her hand as his knees buckled. But he didn't get the chance to do more than that before she pulled her hand back, the claws retracted, and he fell to the ground.

"I'm so sorry, Pietro," K said as she tried to make him more comfortable, clearly shaken up and trying to keep her composure. "But if you'd have lived, you'd be stuck working for them. And I can't let them do that to you. I can't give them a path to Genosha."

But that just had Pietro frowning hard until he couldn't anymore and let his head fall - just as K could hear Kurt further out in the trees baiting the Blob into a blow that crushed Pyro and not Kurt, which only had Fred more determined to destroy the too-quick Nightcrawler.

As Kurt worked, K took a moment to search Pietro for his phone … and then took the chance to put a note into a text, just asking that if whoever found the note could please try to take care of Jubilee … and then trusting that Kurt's message would make it with Toad. The message wasn't strictly her job anyhow.

Eventually, Kurt made his way over, slightly bent over and singed from a few good shots, and slipped down to sit next to K. "Toad is running with his tail between his legs," he said softly. "He knows to warn Magneto about Graydon Creed." He paused and looked toward Pietro. "K … this is suicide. Magneto will destroy everything when he sees this."

"I know." K had been sure to arrange Pietro so he looked almost like he'd simply laid down, and she'd taken care to close his eyes, too. "I'm counting on it."

Which was right about when Kurt realized exactly how far off Logan's wife was right then if suicide by Magneto was the best option she could think of.


	3. Leverage

While Kurt and K had been out, the guards had come again and left with Scott, though as always, they weren't exactly chatty and simply dragged him wordlessly out. The others who were left shouted the usual abuse at the guards, of course — ignoring the "don't react" rule Logan had tried to get them to listen to in favor of letting off steam.

But they hadn't really been expecting it when, after a long stretch of silence, what they heard wasn't screaming. Not really.

"Wait, no — _stop!_ " The tone was one they just weren't used to hearing from Scott, and it was desperate in a way that instantly had Jean on her feet and terrified that their kids were in trouble.

Especially when a beat later, Scott let out a sound that Jean had never heard — but Logan and Ororo had. When Jean had died, that had been Scott's reaction too.

But it was silent for far too long before the guards came back — without Scott — and went to Logan's cell, flat out ignoring Jean as she _demanded_ to know what they had done with her husband, fire barely restrained in her eyes because she didn't know where her children were and couldn't risk the Phoenix with them.

Logan was taking up the defensive right away, even before they guards had put the key into the adamantium-encased lock on his cell. "What the hell did you do?" he snarled out, his claws pricking at the backs of his hands, just itching to tear into them.

"That's not really your concern."

"Like hell it's not," Logan countered, though as soon as he put up the least bit of actual resistance, the guards took advantage of at least _one_ of their tricks.

"Come along quietly or one of them dies. We really don't care which one … we can make it random. One of the kids … one of your missing friends … maybe you can guess which it'll be." The guard smirked. "We've had a lot of practice figuring out how to kill one of you healers, you know. Pretty sure we got a sure-fire method now."

For a moment, Logan couldn't really react like he'd wanted to. He _had_ it plotted out in his head - the best way to take this little group out … wouldn't take any time at all, and he knew he could be fast enough …

"One more thing," the guard said. "If we don't show up in the next five minutes, _someone_ is going to die."

Logan was more frustrated still at that,and knowing he had no way to get out of it without costing them someone, he grudgingly went along with them.

But when Logan got there, all he could focus on was the _look_ on Scott's face where he was tied up and just… still. Looking at absolutely nothing. For a moment, Logan didn't move, staring at Scott and not really wanting to show his cards, if he even had any at that point. He just couldn't figure out what could have made Scott lose that much that fast.

"We need intel," the guard said to Logan.

"He doesn't know anything that I can't tell you," Logan said.

"He ran the team."

"And was open about it, too."

The guard narrowed his eyes and then simply shoved a list at Logan, all the things they wanted, from the code to get into the room where Cerebro was housed to the names and locations of students that hadn't been there when they made their play.

All were things Logan was more than willing to lie about. And unlike Scott, Logan knew he could at least sell it. "Charlie's the only ones with the codes," Logan said in an almost conversational tone. "Auto resets every few days. His list. He shares it if he needs to, and only then."

"Then there's no point in not destroying the rest of the school," the guard said.

Logan tossed the list on the table in front of him. "Nope."

"Fine. But the rest of it—" The guard gestured to the list.

"I know he's a little Type-A, but he sure as hell hasn't memorized where all the kids are," Logan said dryly. "That's just stupid."

"Ask anyway."

Logan did his best to bite back a growl. "You know where the kids are, Slim?" Logan asked, his irritation perfectly clear in his tone of voice. "I think this guy wants to pick up that one that couldn't control the poison he emitted … constantly. Or maybe that vampire kid would be a good fit." It was Logan's _only_ attempt to pull Scott into the here and now, and even as he said it, he knew it wasn't going to really work.

When it was clear Scott _couldn't_ talk, Logan turned to the guard. "I don't know what you learned about interrogation, but you _can't_ interrogate someone that's this far out of it. Even if he knew, he sure as hell couldn't put it together right now. Whatever you did — you went too far."

"Wasn't me," the guard said.

"Whoever it was was an idiot," Logan said before he closed the distance to sit down across from Scott. "I can't do anything here."

"That's not what's in the orders," the guard said. "Look, you don't want to run it, fine. But-"

"You don't get it," Logan growled out. "I've done this kind of work for half my life. If there was a way to do it, I could, but once you've taken 'em this far — you can't do a damn thing."

"And I told you: it wasn't us."

"Bullshit."

"Not our fault the guy couldn't play the game," the guard insisted. "You know the rules."

At that, Logan got up again and made his way toward the guard with a growl starting up. "What the hell did you do?"

"Ran exactly this with Xavier," the guard said, though he took an unconscious step back. "He refused, so we killed the old man. That's how this works."

Logan blinked at him a few times. "You did what?"

"Told you - it wasn't us. That was his call."

"And you can't figure out why the hell he's unresponsive?" Logan almost bellowed. "Your whole damn group is a buncha chimps with screwdrivers!"

"You gonna run this or not?" the guard shouted back.

"There's nothing _to run_ ," Logan snarled out. "He can't answer anything like this! Don't you get that? Even with those two brain cells firing on high, you should be able to figure that much out."

"Maybe you both need a better incentive," came the response crackled on the radio, obviously from Graydon Creed in the next room over.

"It's not a matter of incentive," Logan defended, whirling in place to where the one-way glass was. "He can't access anything when he's been pushed that far. _No one_ can. That's why they call it a shut down."

"I don't care," Graydon replied. "He's worthless to me if I can't use him." There was a short pause before a different voice joined Graydon with an enthusiastic, "Hi, Daddy! Hi, Scoot!"

It was the first thing that Scott had actually responded to, and he was almost holding his breath. "Logan."

Logan looked up at Scott, but was stuck right on the verge of either snarling and snapping entirely or just … freezing.

"Logan, it's fine," Scott said.

"No, it's not," Logan whispered back.

"It's _James."_

It was clear how angry Logan was with all of it. If he could _see_ where behind the glass they were, he could make a break for it, clear the room, and get James _out_. But Graydon never changed the light in the room he was in, so they were still stuck. "List is in front of you," Logan said, his tone entirely constricted. With the hand that was away from the one way glass, Logan was tapping out Morse code: _war zones_.

Scott nodded and closed his eyes. It was obvious he was trying to _think_ , and he very slowly started to tell the guards a list of coordinates he _knew_ would put them at least in the path of the Avengers or the Brotherhood. "That's it," he said, more to Graydon than Logan. "Let James go."

There was a beat of silence before they knew James was leaving — if only for the yelling from the little boy as he demanded his dad or his Scooter over and over.

Both Logan and Scott had the wind out of their sails. So it was deadly quiet as Graydon added, "One more thing."

Logan closed his eyes, just waiting for the shoe to drop and guessing at least that James was the leverage.

"Before you go, take his eyes," Graydon said as casually as if he had been leaving a lunch order.

"Why?" Logan asked, sounding every bit as angry as one would expect, though Scott had almost the opposite reaction, looking at the floor and bracing himself.

"Simple," Graydon said. "Make an example. Use your powers for me or you will lose them or your lives. No exceptions."

"Yeah? This your way of not givin' him a _choice_ in it?" Logan challenged.

"This isn't a request, Weapon X. It's an order."

"And if I refuse?" Logan asked with a definite growl.

"Then little James never makes it to his nursemaid alive."

It was clear there was no decision to be made, but Logan had a hell of a time not attacking the guards that were at the edge of the room, and he still was searching for some way _out_ of it.

"It's fine," Scott said at last, just barely at a whisper.

"Stop saying that," Logan replied just as low.

"Hey. We both know what's going to happen here. Better you than them," Scott said. He let out a breath. "It's fine. It's James. No choice in it."

Logan's hands were shaking from how tight his fists were clenched, and he curled up his lip slightly as he drew a quick breath — an instant before he lashed out. Careful, quick, and as efficiently as he knew how. It even took a moment for Scott to register what had happened.

And then, as Scott did his best impression of alright, biting nearly through his lip as he refused to give Graydon Creed the satisfaction of more screams to torture the others who would hear it, one of the guards handed Logan the supplies to clean up. "Take him back with you," the guy said. "You're done today."

Logan didn't say a word until he'd managed to get a little better control over himself, and then he quietly warned Scott of what he was doing as he started cleaning up the mess - and after a moment, whisper-quiet apologizing over and over. He knew he couldn't fix this, but he did cut through the collar on Scott to wrench it off — it wasn't necessary anyway — and to cut through the ropes holding him bound.

"Stop. It's fine," Scott said through his teeth.

"It's not," Logan replied.

"Sure as hell isn't your fault either," Scott shot back.

"Could've done _something_ different," Logan muttered, though he had moved on from clean up to dressing the wounds. There was a pause before he had to clear his conscience. "I beat up Bobby. It was me."

"Same setup?"

"No," Logan admitted. "They had him under heat. He was gonna fry him or kick him to death."

"Then you saved him," Scott said. He paused. "I couldn't… the professor…" It was obvious he was struggling to put words to what had happened. "I couldn't."

"I'm sorry for that, too," Logan said in a low rumble.

"It was me."

"Just like Bobby and this was me."

Scott shook his head. "You saved him from dying. And James." He let out a long breath. "This was me. All of it."

"I just can't buy that, Scott."

"You weren't there," Scott said. "I know what happened. It's my fault."

"So tell me what happened when we're away from the guards," Logan said quietly, entirely sure that he'd need to tell Jean and Kurt, which was all he thought he'd be able to do for Scott before Logan himself would simply draw back more from them if he could. "You don't need to say it twice."

"Same setup," Scott said in an almost dull tone. "But I wouldn't — I couldn't hurt him. I couldn't do it, and they killed him instead." By that point, Scott was almost shaking trying to hold in his pain and grief. "You're here because they know I _can't_ do it. So I'm useless to them except to hurt the rest of — God, I'm sorry, Logan."

"I'm here because they already know all they need to do is remind me of what I'm supposed to _be_ ," Logan said dully. "Just had to get the right choke chain. That's all." He finished wrapping Scott up and handed him the rest of the bandages.

"I'm sorry," Scott said again as Logan helped him upright.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Slim," Logan said. "Outside of trusting me, that is. That … Just … keep your hand on my shoulder, and I'll get you to Jeannie."

"Alright." It was clear Scott was barely holding himself together, but neither man was _able_ to say more than that. Not when they both felt like they were at fault.

The guards flanked them all the way there, and when they got to the cells, Logan honestly couldn't look either Jean or Ororo in the eyes — Kurt wasn't there, but their captors had apparently decided to let Ororo breathe outside of the small box or risk causing a shutdown like they'd down with Scott — as he helped Scott get to Jean's cell before the guard took a hold of Logan's arm and pulled him back.

"What happened?" Jean breathed out, staring at Scott openly as she guided him to sit down. The guards weren't stopping Jean and Scott from sharing a cell, but anyone could see it was because they wanted Jean to see what they were willing to do — and because Scott wasn't a threat anymore.

"They didn't give me a choice," Logan said quietly before the guard opened his cell and waited for him to step in. The moment he did, Logan made his way directly to the furthest corner and did his best to curl up into a ball there. "Sorry, Jeannie."

"It was me or James," Scott said in a breath, not about to let Logan take the blame.

Jean stared at him, both hands on either side of his face. "They… no." She shook her head slowly. "They can't — they _won't_ get away with this." But it was clear she didn't have it in her to do anything more than watch over Scott at the moment, especially when both he and Logan seemed so… spent. She was too worried to risk leaving either of them.

The whole cell block was locked in a sort of stunned silence for a long time after Logan and Scott's return, with Logan doing his best to keep to the far side of his cell and Jean quietly running her hands in Scott's hair. No one knew what to say, so the spell of silence only broke when the door opened and the guards brought K and Kurt in as well.

Kurt was obviously furious, his tail in constant motion and his teeth bared, which had the guards giving him a wide berth. But K was simply unresponsive. She was awake, but she wasn't reacting to anything — and apparently, this was the norm, since the two guards that brought her there didn't seem to think that the little feral was any kind of a threat to them like that, even when they unceremoniously shoved her in the cell across from Logan by herself before they left.

"Where have you been?" Ororo asked, looking both relieved and concerned as she watched Kurt pace his cell.

"They've had her _working_ for them," Kurt said. "And when they're done making her do unspeakable things, they've been torturing her non-stop." He ran both hands through his hair. "She can't _think_ properly to form a plan that won't get _all of us killed_."

"What are you talking about?" Jean asked, finally looking over to watch Kurt as she did her level best to keep Scott's head on her shoulder.

Kurt let out a sigh of frustration. "They put a device on me for the _mission_ they made us run. I was to ensure that K got to Westchester and back out again after killing most of the Brotherhood."

"How does that get all of us killed?" Ororo asked.

Kurt let his shoulders drop as he turned toward her. "She killed Pietro _first_."

"Magneto is going to crush this entire compound," Scott said, sounding almost resigned. After everything else, it was just… one more misery to pile on.

"We have to find a way to alert him — at least to get the kids out of the way of his attack," Jean said in a breath.

"K … may have done something like that," Kurt said slowly and very quietly. "I didn't see what she wrote, but she had Pietro's phone."

Jean nodded as Ororo said, "Then it's only a matter of time."

"Yeah. We know better than anyone what he's capable of on the warpath," Jean said, trying hard to find a grain of optimism when the rest of the group was obviously spent.

"Let's just see what happens when he arrives," Kurt said tiredly. He leaned back and then frowned at Scott. "What…"

"They want me to take them apart," Jean bit out, her hand on Scott's knee and the other in his hair as he leaned against her.

"Then he's using all of us," Kurt said softly, tipping his head back as he looked toward Ororo. "I can only hope he wishes you to use some lighting. A lot of it."

"If that is the case, I will oblige," Ororo said. "With pleasure."

"What … has happened while I was gone?" Kurt asked, watching Scott and Jean.

"Creed doesn't know when to stop," Scott said, though Kurt was concerned by the fact that his tone was worn and had none of the usual bite to it.

"Yes, but what happened, Scott? I'm sure you are fine, but to what degree?"

"It's fine, Kurt," Scott said. "I'm fine. I'm not—" He cut himself off and then let his voice drop. "The professor — I — he's—"

"We'll find him," Kurt promised.

"No, Kurt," Scott said softly. "No we won't."

"Scott, you can't give up hope, not now," Kurt replied almost sternly.

"There's nothing to hold onto, Kurt," Scott shot back. "He's — he's dead." It was obvious the admission cost him, and he had nothing to give when it was done, leaning against Jean almost limply while she tried to reassure him with her presence alone.

Kurt looked as if Scott had thrown water in his face. "Then … we have to focus on the little ones," he decided finally.

"That's all that matters," Scott breathed out. "He's been using them as leverage, but he knows that can't last."

"Yes, I've seen the leverage," Kurt said in a more serious tone.

"I've only _heard_ James — are they okay?" Scott asked, a bit more openly.

"No, they most certainly are not," Kurt replied. "Bobby and Kitty are watching over them, but the devices they are using …" He let out a growl of frustration before he explained how they worked — and how little Rachel was wearing one.

"That has to go before we can get them out," Jean said. "If you can tell me where they are, if I let out a little fire…"

"I can tell you where they are, but I don't know where the men holding their fingers over the buttons are. They took my bracelet off before putting me in here again," Kurt said. "Probably to protect their assets. The one on Rachel was to keep K in line, by the way."

Ororo narrowed her eyes and looked toward K, who was the mirror image of Logan curled up in her cell. "As soon as that comes off, we destroy them," she said.

"Does Rachel know what it is?" Jean asked, not even bothering to hide her concern.

"I don't know," Kurt said. "I wasn't allowed to speak to them."

"At least they have someone they know with them," Jean said, though her eyes were flashing the more she thought about it.

"Then for now, we wait," Ororo said in a breath.


	4. Like Father, Like Son

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Word of warning : This chapter contains a MAJOR Character Death. No takesie backsies. Suicide Warning.

The day after the Brotherhood was slaughtered, the guards returned to the cells where the X-Men were held. Again, they picked out Kurt and K and hauled them off without a word spoken to the others on the way. The persuasion was the same as it was before, though this time, K was more than a little confused when she was told to change into something clearly less … uniformed. In fact, it looked like one of the newest off-the-line sundresses that Jean had been considering before this fiasco started up.

Kurt had no special outfit to wear - just his uniform, as always. And it was pretty clear that he had his own set of orders by the extremely unhappy expression he was wearing.

"This will be a two-part mission for you, Nightcrawler," Graydon said with a smug sort of look on his face. "You need to drop your partner off at the first location and then move on to the second, where I expect you to kill or capture our dear mother." He turned toward K. "Don't worry; I'm not leaving you out of the fun." He slid a device toward K and waited for her to pick it up. The moment her fingers touched the box, the guard directly behind her stepped forward and hit her with an autoinjector in the side of her neck. "The device is how you'll capture Sabretooth. The tracker in your neck is my insurance that you'll be returning. Just in case you think you have a clever way around the device with the children." K was rubbing the side of her neck as Graydon continued.

"Nightcrawler … you'll have one hour to deal with Mystique, and then, you'll need to go back to get K and my father," Graydon said. He turned toward K. "I expect that should be more than enough time for you to _capture_ and sedate him using _any_ means necessary to do so." Graydon paused at the door. "Your time starts when you teleport out of here. Do _not_ go outside of those parameters." He made sure to give K one last, hard glare before he stepped out.

As the door closed heavily, K glanced down at the dress in front of her. "Do you know where we're headed?" she asked before she simply started to change. "I guess I have to blend in with the crowd and just … play bait."

"Yes," Kurt said, though he was obviously still upset as he considered his own mission. "I know enough to get us there. Not much more."

"Then I guess we better get it over with." K finished pulling on her shoes. then gave Kurt a tight sort of smile, though there was a slight tremor to her voice when she spoke. "You'll take care of Logan and James for me if this goes south, right?"

Kurt knew better than to argue, considering _who_ they were going after. "Of course," he said automatically. "And you will do the same for Mia should my mother prove… as difficult as usual."

K nodded at that. "You've got some honest rage on your side," she said. "You'll get her."

"I know. That does not make me feel much better."

"You're too dashing to die from her treachery," K replied as she took Kurt's arm and frowned at the little device in her hand.

"Do you know what it is?" Kurt asked.

"It's one of Stark's designs," K told him. "I don't know how he got it. Tony shelved it because it was too hard to make work unless you were _far_ too close." She met his gaze. "I do not like this little thing. It _will_ knock him out, but I'll have to hold down the buttons while pressing it to the skin to make it work."

Kurt winced in sympathy. "Then I will be fast," he promised. "Lest he wake up first and you find yourself in an even worse position."

"Work smart, not hard," K agreed. "For both of us, right?"

Kurt nodded his quick agreement before he took her covered her hand with his and teleported them both to Graydon's coordinates. He made sure to kiss K's cheek before he took a step back. "Good luck," he said before he disappeared.

"Same to you," K muttered to herself before she started looking around the little plaza. This was definitely Victor's kind of place, but with no sign of him immediately visible, she'd have to do a little looking around. She started to walk through the sparse crowd. There wasn't anything that screamed out 'this is the spot,' though, and considering that she knew she had Kurt's brimstone clinging to her, she thought it might just be best to be the good little bait she was supposed to be. Which is why she headed to the nearest bar and took a seat in a booth where she could watch the door.

* * *

Kurt, meanwhile, had gone to the villa where Mystique had been staying after an assassination run, unwinding and spending all of a freshly dead duchess' money.

She saw him coming, of course, but she didn't get up from her balcony seat. "I'm busy, darling."

"You look it," Kurt said, stalking steadily toward her. He was thinking of Mia and the others in that little room as he played with the sword in his hand with a flourish that was more habit than anything else.

Raven let out a long sigh and got to her feet, setting down her drink to face him. "What's wrong? You wouldn't come here with your swords drawn just to get in a little mother-son time…"

"Unlike some, there is nothing I wouldn't do for my children," Kurt said in almost a growl. He didn't explain more than that before he burst forward, not at all surprised when his steel met her daggers.

But as K had said, Kurt had the advantage of rage and desperation. Not to mention Raven had never fought him when he was trying to do anything but stop her. Every thought of Mia or little Rachel with that thing on her arm only gave him more power behind his blows until he had disarmed her with a complicated move that used both hands and run her through with the dagger he caught with his tail.

She let out a horrible squelching gasp and stared at him in shock. "Kurt…"

"Believe me," Kurt said as he tore the dagger free and then stabbed her again, "this is more merciful than your other son would be."

Raven blinked at him as she sank to her knees. "This isn't like you," she breathed out.

"No," he agreed. "But needs must." He took a step back, watching his mother, knowing he couldn't simply leave until he knew for sure that she was dead.

And even if she had never truly been a mother to him, Kurt couldn't stop himself from sitting with her until she was gone - or from arranging her hands to rest on her stomach. Though that was also a means to check her pulse.

He stayed as long as he dared, balancing his need to be there and his worry for K, before he finally teleported off.

* * *

K had waited at the bar and gone through several martinis before she finally paid her tab and got moving. She was sure Victor would be where there was alcohol, but for the first time on one of these missions, she was wrong. It was almost a relief as she stepped out of the bar, if not for the fact that it only left the rest of the world wide open, and she wasn't sure if he'd been watching her anyhow.

With a sigh that she'd hoped would loosen her shoulders, K started down the street, her head turned and her sunglasses pushed up her nose as she did her best to look like she was window shopping. She almost swore when she caught a whiff of him when the wind shifted slightly. Of _course_ he'd been following her. The using bait thing was much easier when you weren't the _center_ of the bait.

She paused and turned toward the scent on the wind. If she tried to act too clueless, he'd know something was up, after all. That was the real problem with hunting someone like Victor - he wasn't simple prey. For a long moment, K looked out over the crowd, openly looking for Victor and even allowing herself to slip up onto her tip toes and tip her chin up to catch his scent better, but naturally, the wind wasn't in her favor after the tiny momentary shift. K bit her lip and gave the square one last long look before she readjusted the fabric over her stomach and started walking again.

K made it almost to the parking area before Victor spoke up. "Kinda far away to be all alone, aren'tcha?"

"What do you want, Victor?" K asked in her usual almost bored tone that came into play when he crossed her path, even if they both knew it was a bluff.

Victor smiled crookedly. "Where's the blue rat?"

"If you want to talk to him, you should probably wait," K said before she made to step around him and was, of course, blocked. "I'm sure he'll be along any time."

Victor took a step forward, and K took one back, though she didn't have to fake the nerves at him being in her space like that. "Guess I'll just keep you company until then. Though … it'd be a shame if you weren't here when he came back for you."

K did her best to look off her guard, even if this was exactly what she knew he needed to do for her to catch him. "How about no?" As she started to walk backward, Victor reached out and grabbed a hold of her wrist.

"Don't make a scene now," he growled out low, a smile painted on as he watched a little group of preschoolers walk by in a single file line. "Don't want anything to get out of control, do you?"

"Why are you even _here_?" K asked, pulling steadily to get her arm back from him. It wasn't the one with the device, but there was no reason to jump the gun when she _knew_ she could get in closer. And she'd _need_ to.

"Lil' mini-vacation," Victor replied in a purr. "What about you? I don't catch a whiff of the Runt or your little brat …" But that was just a step over the line for K, and before she could school it, she was growling. "Easy now, girlie. Lots of tiny witnesses might could get in the way. You wanna try an' throw down, we can take it somewhere more private."

"I'm not going _anywhere_ with you," K hissed.

"Yeah? How ya plannin' ta stop me from makin' ya? Where's your sweetheart, eh? Ain't like him to let the girl that owns his lil' battered heart run around without back up. Not knowin' full well that there's a price to be paid for carryin on in the open like you two have been … an' it's long past time you paid up."

"Not here," K replied between her teeth, though she didn't drop his gaze one bit. Half of it was the challenge he as looking for - and the other half was honest fear.

"Then you better start walkin' nice and easy," Victor countered with a growl of his own, looming over her before he pulled her closer to his side - nearly knocking her off her feet as he kept an iron grip on her arm. The two of them walked down several blocks from where he'd first approached without a word between them, though Victor kept yanking on her now and again just as a show of dominance. When they got far enough away from the little square, he dragged her into an alley, and a moment later, he'd pinned her against one of the brick walls. Which … worked to her advantage.

He still had a hold of her wrist and he took his free hand to wrap around her throat in warning. "Stab me and I'll tear your throat out," he growled out, which had her growling in response and narrowing her eyes as he started roughly searching her for bugs. She began to push on his shoulder with her loose hand, and when he let her slip down the wall to barely let her toes touch the ground, she was quick to reach up with the device - pressing it to the back of his neck before she managed the buttons.

With a little sound of irritation, Victor had his hand wrapped around her throat as promised and pulled her away from the wall only to slam her back into it a few times. She was seeing double as he growled low a few inches from her face and K held up her hand with the now-spent device - showing it to him before she let it fall to the ground. Which was when he started to visibly slow down. "What the hell is this?" he asked thickly as his grip started to slip on her, but that had him pulling her tighter to himself.

"Pretty sure it's karma," K replied, but she couldn't get out of his grasp as he went to the ground, collapsing almost entirely on top of her as the drugs kicked in. He was too big to push away when he had her pinned so awkwardly, and it wasn't until the first onlooker passed them by that she realized how it probably looked to someone from the street. Of course, when she got a look at his watch, she couldn't help but let out a sound of pure frustration. Fifteen minutes to be _stuck_ under Victor Creed.

Eventually, she heard the sound of a teleport before Kurt put his shoulder to Creed to move him. "Well. This is a predicament."

"He drooled on me," K said in a flat tone that surprisingly didn't hide how relieved she was to be rid of him.

"That is certainly offensive." He held out a hand to help her to her feet. "Mystique is dead."

"Oh, what a shame. If I'd had better leverage …" She let the statement fall and started to restrain Victor. "And that strict warning not to kill him."

"I didn't have that warning."

"No, you did not," she said. "Lucky boy." She made quick work of being sure Victor was secured before she looked up at Kurt. "I guess … ready when you are."

Kurt nodded and then teleported all three of them back to where Graydon was waiting.

"Just the one?" Graydon asked.

"Mystique is dead," Kurt said flatly.

"I'd be happy to finish this one off right now," K said, doing a fine job of keeping her smirk under control, even if she would have _loved_ to do just that.

"Not just now," Graydon said, waving her off. "I'll tell you when I need you next."

As soon as the two of them were out of the room, K stopped and gave Kurt a significant look. "You catch that?"

"What? That he has our mother's sense of sadism?"

"That he _needs_ us," K replied. "It's not pure sadism."

Kurt couldn't help but smirk. "Well. He isn't as stupid as he looks."

"I wouldn't go that far," K said dryly as they met up with the soldiers that would take them back to their cells. "I'm getting tired, sweet fuzzy blueberry."

Kurt took her hand and gave it a squeeze. "Then you can sit the next one out," he said. "I'm sure my best friend and I can handle matters from here."

K gave him a tight smile as the two of them were led down to the cells to join the others.

Logan relaxed visibly when the two of them showed up, though he was frowning at the scents he was catching. But as usual, they were put in their separate cells, leaving the two ferals across the little hall from each other. And again, after a moment of what was clear _longing,_ the two of them retreated to their usual spots to curl up and watch each other while the rest of their team discussed what they could.

"Nothing good can come out of Graydon Creed asking for Sabretooth alive," Scott muttered. "We're lucky he still wants K alive, or I doubt there would have been an equalizer."

"Which one wants her alive?" Kurt said. "It sounded like _Victor_ had plans too. There was no blood shed today with them."

"What kind of- I don't want to know," Scott said.

"I can tell you firsthand it's best not to try to figure him out," Jean said in a dark tone.

Scott nodded and leaned into her. "Either of them," he whispered.

"One thing we do know: neither Creed is going to give the other an inch," Jean whispered to him.

Scott let out a breath. "So long as we don't get caught in the middle…"

Jean kissed his forehead. "Something is due to go right."

"We'll see."

* * *

"So this is where the boy has you X-geeks stashed." Victor Creed's voice echoed off the walls as he stepped into the cell block where most of the X-Men were being kept. It had been a little over a week since Sabretooth had been captured and the torture on the two ferals had ramped up as well, but now? They were trapped, and Creed was free. He was already splattered with blood, and the emergency lights down the hall were flashing, if the red, pulsating light coming through the small window on the main door was any indicator. And yet … here was Victor Creed looking perfectly _livid_ as he slowly walked through the cell block.

"Boy took his homework to heart, didn't he?" Victor said, though he certainly wasn't looking happy at all. He stopped in front of Storm's cell and stretched his hands out - letting his claws out when he flexed his fingers. He turned her way and let his sneer turn into a snarl. "I'll get back to you. I got business first."

He kept walking until he got to the end of the cell block where Logan and K were - on opposite sides of the hall, still - and for a moment, Victor simply looked between the two of them with a growing smile. "Where to start, where to start …"

Logan began to growl low, more than ready to dive in after him, but that only had Victor turning his whole body slowly, showing Logan his back as he took the handful of steps toward K's cell while she got to her feet. "No drugs for you to cheat with this time, frail," Victor said, looking entirely livid with her as he unlocked the door. He let it swing wide open and left it that way, though he stood in the doorway - daring her to try to get by him. Not that it would have done her much good when he was blocking her path so clearly and itching to get a hold of her. For a moment, she forgot that she was barefoot and in a dress after another little mission Graydon had sent her on. She had _nothing_ to her advantage in this fight.

But still … K was more than willing to bring the fight to him. She was back to a fractured means of thinking with all the torture that had been handed down to her with no time to rest or to heal unless it was to go on an errand. Before anyone could say anything to her, she dove in, all snarls and claws. To start with, it was bloody and every bit the fight that K knew she had to put forth to keep her head above water against him. Victor was getting hits in; of course he was. The man's arms could reach from one side of the cell to the other if he only held them out - and K was fighting to keep a little distance, slashing at him when he'd get too close.

They were halfway into the fight when Logan realized he was on his feet as he watched them and almost holding his breath. Victor had been spewing all sorts of vitriol her way from the moment she'd rushed him. Not only calling her every filthy name under the sun but outlining in vivid detail all the things he wanted to do to her. Only … the monologue was different from his usual torture diatribe in that he wasn't speaking as if that was what his plan was _now_. Only what it had _been_. K managed to ignore most of what Victor said … until he had bashed her backward and then looked over his shoulder at Logan with a crooked smile stretching across his lips.

"You know that boy of yours was askin' for you just before they killed him," Creed said casually, and like he'd hoped, Logan froze. But more importantly, K did too.

Creed didn't snarl as he turned to snatch her up, lightning quick. Instead, he saved the growl for _after_ he had a solid grip on her. His growl mixed with Logan's snarl and Kurt's as he quickly restrained K by knocking her strong arm out of socket, only to readjust how he had a grip on her. As he liked to do, one hand was curled tightly around her entire neck - the claw on his thumb digging into the hollow where her jaw met her ear as his index finger did the same on the other side of her skull. He had her pulled in tightly to him so both of them were facing Logan, and on seeing the look of pure venom and outrage from Logan, Creed smiled slowly. He leaned in close over K's shoulder, moving her hair out of his way with his nose so his lips were brushing her ear when he spoke.

K was trembling - though not from Creed. Not at first. Not when she had just been told that her son was dead. The tears streaming down her cheeks had _nothing_ to do with her current predicament. Not _yet._

"This isn't how I wanted this to go, frail." He let the fingers in his free hand sink into her stomach - right below her ribs, though shocking those closest to her, K didn't let out a sound. "We _were_ gonna have a good time, girly, but you went and got yourself caught up with little Graydon - and now I don't have the luxury of doin' this the way you deserve."

Victor shifted so that he was speaking over her opposite shoulder, though he was clearly watching Logan. "You're lucky I'm feelin' generous. For old time's sake. So how about you give me a good scream. Just one ...and I'll make it go quicker." To accentuate his point, he dug his fingers into her belly more, articulating the lion's claws to make the cuts deeper and nastier.

K's face twisted in agony as she tried to squirm away from him - really only succeeding in pressing into him deeper and earning a dark chuckle from him.

"Come on now; be nice for your Uncle Victor," he half purred, shifting his cuts and moving the hand around her neck so he could at least threaten to bite her throat out - though his close proximity and his breath on her neck as he leaned closer paired with how _badly_ he was hurting her was enough to get K to let out the tiniest, strangled little sound that wasn't quite identifiable as she tried to keep her composure in check.

It was all made that much worse when Victor grinned on hearing it and actually started shushing her _gently_ as he ran a hand over her hair and retracted his claws. "I wish I could say this was for Logan," Victor said softly, though even Kurt and Scott could hear it over Logan's growl. K had closed her eyes and was steadfastly refusing to look toward Logan even if it was painfully clear to everyone where it was going as Victor continued to quietly whisper things to her that K only answered by minutely shaking her head, not trusting herself to allow a noise to slip by her lips.

Victor glanced at the door when he heard soldiers boots well down the hall, then leaned forward enough to gently kiss her cheek. His fingers wrapped around her neck again, squeezing hard this time as his other hand removed something from his back pocket. She was choking for how tightly Victor was squeezing - and when K tried to wriggle out of his grasp, his other arm went up toward the back of her head, lighting fast. There was an odd metallic scraping sound and two almost hollow snaps before Victor dropped first the broken dagger handle - and then K's lifeless body.

There was a full second of silence before every one of the X-Men was spewing invectives and threats, well beyond furious, though Logan was too shocked to join them.

"Thought you people knew not to get attached by now," Victor almost purred out at the outrage around him.

"Something you taught your son perfectly," Scott snapped at him.

"Never had a thing to do with him," Victor said easily as he started back down the cell block.

"Exactly."

But Victor smirked quietly to himself as he passed them. Which only had the rest of the group that much more furious.

But, surprising the X-Men anyhow, when the group of soldiers came into the cell block armed to the teeth with Graydon along with them, the younger Creed positively blew up when he saw that K was dead. "What did you _do_ , you imbecile!" Graydon shouted - as close to a snarl as any of them had heard. "She wasn't supposed to die."

"Hell of a way to keep her alive," Scott shouted back.

"Stay out of this," Graydon snapped.

With a roar, Victor bounded forward and most of the X-Men found themselves hitting the deck as he tore through the soldiers between himself and Graydon. They were trying to fire off rounds, but of course, Victor was making the shots go wild as he ripped into them, not bothering to stop until he got a hold of Graydon, too. And shocking every single one of them, for once, Victor didn't try to _talk_ until after he'd broken Graydon's neck. "Made me waste a perfectly good weekend for a quick kill instead," he muttered to himself before he turned back around to look through the cells. Every one of the X-Men was beyond angry, but when he got to Logan - Logan was shaking in rage and hoping like hell Victor would open the damn door.

"Look at you," Victor said, tipping his chin up as he looked down his nose at Logan. "Still want to pretend like you're the same as these little heroes?" He leaned closer, his sneer twisting up his features. "Even your friends know that's a load of crap. And it's high freakin' time you just admitted it." Logan hadn't moved a muscle, even as Victor got closer still to the bars, smugly talking down to him.

The two of them stared at each other for far too long. "You're right," Logan said quietly, which was just enough to get a broad grin out of Victor and horrified looks from his teammates - just before Logan darted forward and reached through the bars to grab a hold of Victor around his neck. When he yanked him closer, he pulled to spin him so he could face the mess he'd made of K. Though that only seemed to fuel Logan's rage more.

Logan's arm was over Victor's windpipe, and he was pulling back with everything he had - to the point that his feet were on the bars too as Logan threw his weight back, pushing with his legs to get every ounce of leverage he could as Victor tried to pry his arm off.

Victor pulled hard enough to dislocate Logan's shoulder, but it didn't slow Logan down from reefing that much harder on his own arm to finish the job, choking him out - and pulling back harder every time Victor tried to loosen up his hold. And as Victor was turning shades of purple people were never meant to turn, he made a last ditch effort to slice through Logan's arm - and Logan readjusted his grip slightly, popped his claws ,and simply took Victor's head clean off.

When Victor hit the floor, Logan did too, and after a moment to catch his breath, all Logan could do was stare across the hall at where K was still and lifeless with Victor's last taunts still ricocheting around in his head. The crash was a hard one, and the stunned silence from his teammates only fed the ringing in his ears as Logan started to come apart on himself. He'd tried so hard. Again. And again, he had _nothing_.

"Logan," Kurt said in an almost-whisper. "Logan, listen to me. We need to get out of here."

It took a few tries before Kurt seemed to cut through the haze, at least a little, and after Logan caught his breath, he reached through the bars to find the keys that Victor had used to open K's cell. When he found them, he got his door opened and then headed for Kurt to free him - and then simply handed him the keys as he made a beeline for where K was still laid out. He didn't make a show out of it at all as he slid to the ground, gathered her up, and clutched her to his chest, wrapping himself around her as much as he was able.

Kurt unlocked Ororo's cell and had given _her_ the keys before he went right to Logan, one hand on his shoulder as he crouched beside him. "I'm so sorry, _mein Freund_ ," he whispered, his own voice shaking, though he couldn't think of anything else to _say_ as he sat beside Logan - while Ororo worked as quickly as she could to get the collars off the rest of them.

As the group was trying to lay out a plan - with Scott doing his best to come up with a strategy based on what Kurt could tell him about the layout beyond the basics that Scott had seen, Logan very quietly picked up one of the discarded collars that had slid close to him and held it for a long moment as he stared at K's unseeing eyes. Victor hadn't lied about his son. That much was clear. Logan would have caught a blatant lie like that. And on seeing that the little dagger he'd broken off in K was carbonadium, he knew that Victor had thought it through before he went after K. He still took a moment to _try_ and revive her. But Victor had done a good job of making it stick, and Logan had no way to get the dagger _out_. Which meant even if there had been a window … he had no way of using it to bring her _back_.

Ideas were flying back and forth with the team as they came up with a game plan, and the group was sure they had a few solid options, though all of their forward progress came to a screeching halt when a sharp, echoing _snikt_ superseded all other sounds in the room.

All at once, it was a different kind of chaos as Kurt teleported to Logan before he'd fully crumpled over, swearing at him in every language he knew plus a few that he only knew how to swear in from traveling with Logan and K. The blood was more than Kurt could stop, and the injury was instantly fatal anyhow. Especially since everyone had missed the fact that Logan had put a discarded collar on before he'd sent his claws up into his own head from under his chin.

Kurt panicked, trying to get the collar _off_ of his best friend, hampered not only by the blood but by the fact that the collar had locked again. Kurt couldn't hold back the sheer despair that his _brother_ wasn't going to heal from this because of something this barbaric and simple.


	5. Too Far

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *** We're not done with the horrible things yet. More MAJOR Character deaths. Psychological trauma. PTSD. ***

While Kurt was loudly losing his cool, begging God and luck and _anything_ he could think of to _help him_ , the rest of the cells were nearly still and silent. Ororo had a hand over her mouth as she tried to hold in a sob, her other hand braced against the wall just to stay upright. Scott was frozen in stunned horror as the blood drained from his face and Kurt's voice got less angry and more _desperate_ \- and Jean… Jean had gone somewhere beyond the horror that Scott was feeling to something else entirely.

It was too much at once. Not just the captivity and torture but losing the professor, watching her husband hurt, worrying about their kids, hearing Victor's promises as he tortured a woman that had become a good friend that had helped _balance_ their team out… then in the matter of _minutes_ to lose James and K - and Logan, too. The fire started before she'd even thought about it, and once it did, there was no need to plan an exit strategy. The Phoenix was going to burn its way out of the compound; the X-Men simply had to stay ahead of it.

"Jean," Scott started to say, but when a deafening, heartbroken, rage-filled cry from the Phoenix was the answer, Ororo grabbed him by the arm to pull him toward the exit.

"We need to find the others," Ororo told him, making sure to keep her grip on him, since he couldn't _see_ the destruction of the compound around them. "Anyone that's left."

Scott would have argued, but Kurt teleported to the two of them and then teleported once more, getting them both out of the way of what would have been part of the wall collapsing. "I know where they are," he said, his voice rough with emotion and barely controlled before he teleported them both to the room he'd been to before to observe the kids- and then disappeared again, though he didn't exactly say what he was up to.

Ororo let out a soft "Oh, _Goddess_ ," before she handed one of the kids to Scott, though she didn't say who it was, and he didn't _know_.

Not until the little guy wrapped his arms around Scott's neck and quietly said, "Want my Daddy."

Scott froze and took a step back just to keep himself upright. But after a beat, he wrapped James up and held him tight. "I know, buddy," he breathed out. "Right now, we need to get out of here, okay? You hang on tight."

James tightened his grip a little, though it was clear he was still upset at seeing everyone _but_ who he was looking for, especially when even as he was holding tight to Scott, he started calling for his Mom and Dad.

"James misses his Dad and Mom," Rachel said helpfully. She was holding Kitty's hand, and Ororo had Mia clutched tightly as the little girl happily babbled to her mom and snuggled into her shoulder. With Bobby - still stiff and sore - behind Hank, who was carrying Nate, that was everyone accounted for, though Ororo at least had the wherewithal to keep a hand on Scott's arm to steer him so it wasn't blatantly obvious to the kids that this was more than just an issue with no visor.

Their timing couldn't have been better, either. They had just spilled out onto the main floor when two destructive forces seemed to collide - a magnetic force that was ripping through the compound's aboveground levels and the Phoenix force as it burned its way to the surface.

"What has happened to all of you?" Erik demanded. "Where's Charles?"

"I'm afraid we're all that's left," Ororo said when it was clear Bobby and Kitty didn't _know_ and Scott was barely keeping it together as it was. "Kurt is… somewhere, and Jean…" She gestured toward the flames steadily growing beyond them.

But before Erik could even process that much, Kurt teleported up - with both Logan and K. He was determined not to leave them behind, though the singed fur was an indication of how close a call it had been.

"Gather closer," Erik said. "I'll … take you all away from this place."

"All of us," Kurt said, a sharp light in his gaze that none of them had ever seen before. "If I knew what they had done with Charles, I would bring him too. And I _will_ find Ja-" He froze when he turned and saw the little boy in Scott's arms. James looked back at him with wide, teary eyes. Kurt teleported over to rest his hand on James' head, needing to _touch_ him to see that he was really there. When Kurt spoke, the unfairness and sorrow was palpable in his voice. " _Was is… nein, kleine junge…_."

"They're all alive," Ororo told him.

Kurt looked between the kids and then down at Logan and K before he swore all over again, closed his eyes, and then teleported to Ororo to steal a long kiss and to kiss Mia's forehead tenderly and run his hand gently over her hair. "Then we will ensure that nothing will threaten them again," he said soft enough that Ororo was the only one to hear it before Kurt teleported off again - this time close enough to Jean to catch her attention before he got closer still and then, all at once, the firebird and Kurt were both gone in a poof of swirling pink and purple.

Erik took in the scene for a moment before he looked down at Logan and K, frowning to himself when he saw the damage on both of them. And simply because it offended him, he removed the collar Logan was wearing and turned to Ororo and Scott. "The children shouldn't stay here while they … continue." He turned toward the downed ferals again with a barely restrained look of distaste. "And they should not see _that_."

"We're _not_ leaving them," Kitty said, her gaze positively locked onto Logan. There were tear tracks down her face, and it was blatantly obvious that the only thing keeping her from breaking down into a puddle right there was the fact that Rachel had a death grip on her hand and was starting to cry as well - even if she didn't quite understand all that she'd seen. Kitty had tried, of course to block her view of the worst of it … but with death and misery all around them, it was inevitable that she'd have seen some of it.

"I'll stick with them," Bobby offered quietly, his tone one no one had heard from him before. "You guys take the kids… I'll wait with them, and you can come back."

"Bobby," Scott started to say.

"Hey, I owe him," Bobby said. "I got it. Besides … the kids have been missing you. Probably had more than enough of me."

"We can put those two near Jubilation," Erik said, gesturing to Logan and K. "Once we get the children somewhere safe and Jean and Kurt return."

"They should be near one of the cabins," Kitty said, shaking her head. "But not … not right now."

"Later," Scott agreed, still holding onto James tight and unsuccessfully trying to keep the little guy from getting upset - since he didn't quite know how to angle him to keep him from seeing anything he wasn't supposed to. And for how still James had been since Kurt had teleported off, Scott suspected that he'd seen much more than he should have.

"Yes. It's long past time you all left this place," Erik said quietly before he raised his arms and picked up a considerably large section of sheet metal that all of them were standing on. In a moment, he'd curled up the edges, and they were on their way to Genosha.

As soon as they were in the air, the rescued X-Men lapsed into near-silence, though not everyone was old enough to fully understand what was going on. Which was how a two-year-old Nate wound up peeking over the edge of the metal and smiling up at Erik. "Fast," he giggled.

Erik couldn't help but to spare the little boy a muted smile, though he didn't slow their progress down one iota. "Stay back from the edge, young man," Erik told him gently.

"Okay," Nate said, though he was still peeking anyway - at least until Kitty managed to pull him back and he was distracted by trying to join into the snuggle Scott had almost enforced with James. On seeing the two boys curled up with her father, Rachel immediately wanted to join as well, leaving Scott with a little boy in each arm and his daughter attached to his side where he was sitting toward the center of the metal - while the rest of the X-Men sat in silence around him, warily watching their blinded leader. Kitty had her knees drawn up to her chest with her arms around her shins, shoulders shaking as she tried to keep her grief as silent as possible. Hank was simply shell-shocked - as were most of them - and Ororo kept her full focus on her little girl, quietly humming one of Kurt's lullabies as she rocked Mia.

When it got a little too crowded with Scott when Nate fell asleep, James tried to wriggle away from the pile of Summerses. "Wait," Scott said. "Wait until we get to the ground, okay, buddy?"

James squirmed a little but settled back down with little more than a soft sigh that Scott could _feel_ spoke volumes of how scared and out of sorts the little boy was. "I'm sorry. I promise you can run around when we get settled," Scott said.

James frowned at that, though Scott obviously didn't see it, and he was too tired and _lost_ to fight with him, so instead, he just rested his head on Scott's shoulder and went limp, which was evidence enough to anyone that knew him that he really didn't _want_ to run around.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bobby was still keeping up his vigil over the two Howletts when he heard the whine of an engine outside the wreckage and narrowed his eyes, getting stiffly to his feet before he iced up and stood guard in front of Logan and K. He didn't know who these newcomers were, but all things considered, he was sure this was more bad news.

"Looking for a fight, Drake?" Tony Stark's voice echoed out before he appeared a few moments later - fully armored up and looking like at least _he_ was ready for a fight.

Bobby relaxed slightly when he saw it, but he stayed iced up - and in front of Logan and K. "You're so late it's not even funny," he said.

"Giant firebird left, huh?" Tony asked as he touched down - and made his way closer.

"Yeah. That's… still a problem. But that's not what I'm talking about," Bobby said before he stepped slightly aside - at least enough for Tony to see just who he was watching out for. And why.

"What the hell," Tony breathed out as the faceplate shifted out of his way. "What _happened_?"

"Short version?" Bobby crossed his arms. "The Friends of Humanity ambushed us."

"They're not _smart enough_ to off these two," Tony pointed out, staring in shock at the two dead ferals.

"Yeah?" Bobby gestured to Logan and K. "Well, give them weeks of nonstop torture, bring in Victor Creed, and tell them their son is dead? I mean, I wasn't there, but even I know how that was going to end."

Tony looked more wide-eyed. "The kid too?" he asked quietly.

Bobby shook his head quickly. "No. That was a lie to screw with them, I guess. James, Rachel, Nate, Mia - they're on their way with the _survivors_ to Genosha." He let out a long breath that showed how tired he was. "You're late. So _damn_ late."

"No kidding," Tony agreed softly as he made his way over to kneel down next to them, still not believing that they were _both_ just … gone.

"I don't suppose you know where the Phoenix went after it left here," Bobby asked as he de-iced and sat down heavily.

"I've got satellites tracking," Tony said distractedly as Steve rounded the corner and outright stopped.

"Gonna be hard to follow. Nightcrawler is with her," Bobby said.

"Yeah, that would explain the sudden bursts of fire," Tony said, then turned to look up at Steve. "We screwed up. _So bad_."

"What…" Steve was just staring at Logan and K, still stopped at the corner. And when he did look up to see a de-iced Bobby who was still not back to normal human colors after the beating Logan had given him, he looked furious. "What happened? I thought this was a Phoenix issue."

"No," Bobby said tiredly. "But I'm sure that's the only problem the guy screening your calls would find even though we're in the middle of a building full of nothing but genocide. The Phoenix didn't even come into play until Jean lost it when Logan…" He gestured with one hand. "Where are they hitting? That's a very special combination of fury and hurt that I only wish on my worst enemies…"

Tony drew his attention away from K and Logan and consulted his on-board computer even as his suit started a scan on both of the bodies. "Looks like all the known FoH and MRD facilities right now … at least … that's what the dozen or so that are already leveled were."

"Yeah. Well. I'm too tired to act like that's a bad thing," Bobby said, leaning forward to rest his head in his hands. With the Avengers there, he was really starting to crash.

"You wanna head to the Quinjet, take a load off?" Tony offered. "We'll bring them with."

"I promised not to leave 'em," Bobby said.

"Then let's get them out of here before someone that's actual trouble comes pokin' around," Tony said before he looked up at Steve. "C'mon, Cap. We gotta take 'em home."

Steve nodded slowly at that, finally kicking away from the corner he'd been leaning on to keep himself upright in favor of going to Logan, while Tony was sure to pull K into his arms as they headed to the Quinjet. It had just been the two of them, since the other Avengers were spread out trying to put out literal and figurative fires in the wake of the Phoenix attacks, so there wasn't anyone else in the jet to see the mess the Howletts were as the Avengers set them down and Bobby sat down close to them, his hands shaking as he watched the whole thing.

Steve was frowning hard but didn't say anything until he was sitting up front with Tony. And even then, it was just a quiet, "Tony…"

"Yeah," Tony breathed out. "Looks like a regular Romeo and Juliet thing, doesn't it?"

"How did it get that bad that fast?" Steve asked in a breath.

"I think … it's been worse than we thought for a long time," Tony said. "Obviously."

"Obviously."

A few moments passed between them before it was clear how _angry_ Tony was. "Damnit, this is exactly the kind of thing we made the Avengers to _stop_. Why is it that our calls so rarely go to help mutants? Who's in charge of that?"

"I don't know, Tony," Steve said warily. "We handed that side of things over to SHIELD years ago."

Tony was agitated as he thought it over and glanced back at the bloodied couple only long enough to let out a bitter sound from the back of his throat. "This never should have happened. They never should have gotten anywhere close to them - _we should have paid more attention when they told us how bad it was._ " He was barely keeping his temper in check - and only because he could see how traumatized Bobby was. "I'm gonna get to the bottom of this, Cap."

"We both will." Steve glanced back at the three mutants in their hold. "I didn't catch where we're headed."

"Magneto picked them up, so … "

Steve frowned at that. "Are we running a rescue from _Genosha_? We've already got the Phoenix to deal with…"

"I don't think this is a rescue, Cap," Tony said. "Sounds more like Magneto was the one to get them out of danger. If it makes you feel better - which I'm sure it won't- he was late too."

"Really doesn't," Steve muttered and glanced back again, though he didn't actually voice any further opinion on the matter.

"Scanners show that she got a carbonadium blade in the back of the head along with a dislocated neck," Tony said quietly. "Half a dozen other more minor _to her_ injuries …"

"And him?"

Tony drew in a deep breath and clearly didn't want to respond right away, though when it was clear Steve was still waiting … "Self-inflicted."

All of the wind left Steve's sails, and he glared out the window. "How did we miss this, Tony," he said after a long, _long_ silence.

"I don't know," Tony replied. "Not like we can fix it at this point. All we can do is stop it from happening anymore."

"Yeah," Steve said, though he didn't say anything further until they were nearly to Genosha, at which point he surprised Tony by taking over on the message declaring their business and requesting permission to land. "We've got Iceman, Wolverine, and K," he said in a businesslike tone. "We're just bringing them home - and want to make sure the rest of their group is in one piece."

A few moments later, they were granted permission to land, though Tony was nervous going in. It was more than a little disconcerting to have Magneto meet them there himself - though they _had_ been expecting someone a little higher up the chain of command in the X-Men than Kitty to be there when they landed.

"We'll take care of them," Kitty said, though her eyes were red and puffy and her voice was hoarse.

"I can help," Steve offered.

Kitty blinked at him before she nodded, though Erik was already shaking his head. "We have a place prepared for them until we can find a suitable burial site," he said. "I can manage. Katherine, please show Robert where he'll be staying." With that, he turned his wrists in a graceful gesture, and both Logan and K rose up from where they'd been laid out. A moment later, the bodies floated past the Avengers - and Erik left with the Howletts in tow.

Kitty gave Tony and Steve a tight smile before she turned to Bobby. "Okay. Well. I guess I'll just…"

"Miss Pryde, I'm so sorry about all of this. Please, let us know when the service is," Steve said, sounding a lot more like himself with all the bluster gone.

Kitty paused and looked Steve's way before she nodded. "There's… a lot," she admitted. "I don't know how soon it will be when Jean and Kurt are still, you know…"

"Can't really blame them," Tony said before he managed to hand her a card. "Give a call either way. We'll make time."

"Right. He was on your team too." Kitty gave him a small ghost of a smirk. "Sometimes."

"Goes back a little more than that," Steve said quietly. "But yeah. That too."

Kitty paused and looked Steve over more carefully. "Do you want to stick around, or are you just dropping Bobby off? Everyone's in the living room - Magneto gave us a house to stay in…"

"I … doubt we're welcome," Steve said.

"Just don't start anything. The way Scott's going, you'll stress him into a heart attack," Kitty warned.

"I really do want to see how everyone is doing," Steve said. "Offer my support. So if it's alright … we'll come along."

Kitty nodded. "Just a warning," she said over her shoulder as she led the way, "you bring up Professor Xavier and I'll phase you into a loading dock."

"What … what's the deal with him?" Tony asked, unable to leave it alone.

"He died," Kitty said flatly.

"Did you lose anyone else?" Tony asked.

"Yes." Kitty looked over her shoulder. "We're not talking about it. Especially not when Jean is playing Phoenix. That has historically not ended well."

"Got it. Just trying to keep a running list of who not to talk about," Tony said.

"If you don't see them, assume they're dead or in danger of dying," Bobby said dryly. "It's been that kind of a week."

"Fair enough," Steve agreed with his eyebrows high in surprise before he shot Tony a look and they fell into step behind Bobby and Kitty.

Eventually, they did reach the house - which was within sight of Magneto's looming tower. And as Kitty had said, most of the people on the team were in the living room, unable to relax while they watched the spotty news coverage of the Phoenix attacks and took stock of themselves. Mia was asleep on Ororo, who was green as she watched the footage. Hank had managed to get Nate to let go of his fur long enough to set him back on his shoulders, though Rachel was tucked into Scott's side and James was leaning on his shoulder. It didn't escape the Avengers' notice that all the X-Men looked … _spent_ in addition to the more obvious physical signs of their ordeal, not least of which were the wraps on Scott's eyes and head.

Tony and Steve shared a look and made their way over to Scott, taking the closest available seats. "Scott. How are you hanging in there?" Steve asked. "Looks like you've got good support with the little ones, anyhow."

Scott frowned at the new voice and visibly straightened. "We're fine," he said shortly, unconsciously tightening the arm that was draped around James. "He's my godson. He'll be fine."

"He _looks_ fine where he's at," Steve agreed, even as he gave James a little wave and tried to look friendly. James watched him for a long moment, and instead of being his usual playful self, he simply turned away from Steve and seemed to melt into Scott's side.

And while Steve was trying and failing to navigate the rough waters of small talk with Scott, Tony had flat out ignored that any such thing existed and dove right to scanning Scott quietly to himself … which … was more than enough to keep him quiet when the results came in with undeniably distinctive treble slashes that were still freshly healed.

Finally, Scott leaned forward. "I know you're here about Jean," he said bluntly.

"Actually, we were _there_ for Jean," Steve said. "We're here for … well. We gave Bobby a ride, among other things."

"Alright. Then I'll ride back with you," Scott said. "She just…she needs something to hang onto to get it back under control. If I can get there-"

"To be frank, the places she's wrecking? No one on our side is going to stop her," Tony said.

"They're not the ones I'm concerned about."

"I understand," Tony agreed. "I'm just saying: we _know_ this isn't in our skill set, and we're not stupid enough to piss off the giant firebird any more."

"First time for everything," Scott said dryly. He got to his feet. "Like I said: I'll talk her down. Someone has to."

"Alright," Steve agreed, though when Scott tried to get James to let go, it was clear the little guy wasn't having it. At all.

"James, you can't come," Scott said quietly. "This is too dangerous for you."

" _No_ ," James replied stubbornly, holding on that much tighter.

Scott let out a breath and then turned to Tony. "If this goes badly, put him in a suit and get him out and don't let him see it," he said without any room for argument. "He's been through too much already."

"I'll make sure he gets out safe," Tony said, though he looked more than a little confused at how the little guy was running a racket on Scott like that.

"Fine." Scott took a second to give Rachel and Nate both a kiss before, with James still attached to his neck, he gestured for the two Avengers to lead him out. "Let's go get my wife."

* * *

It took a longer than Steve and Tony had anticipated to get caught up to the Phoenix, if only because just as they were about to catch up, Kurt teleported them again, and they had to find out where those two were headed before they could catch up again. This time, the two of them had managed to find more trouble than before, upending a government facility - though it was on top of a Sentinel factory, so neither was going to survive the Phoenix fire.

Of course, even without seeing it, Scott could feel the extreme heat of the Phoenix fire and could hear in their connection that there was only hurt. There was very little of Jean in the fire. The rage of the Phoenix was getting stronger with every act of destruction.

Even Kurt had burned through enough of his rage to see it, if the pleading the Avengers could hear was any indication. "I can't even get close to you, Jean," Kurt was saying as they arrived. "I can keep going, but I can't _help_ if you don't rein it in!"

Scott shook his head when he heard it and didn't bother to shout, instead reaching through their connection. _Jean, I need you back. Please._

But that seemed to be the wrong avenue to take, because, when Jean paused for a second to look his way, the fact that he was tired and hurt and holding James hit all the wrong buttons. James being there was proof of how pointless it had been for Logan to give up, and Scott was a reminder of everything else that had been done to them. She looked them both over… and the flames got that much hotter.

"Stark, get James out of here," Scott said, though he didn't move from where he was, either, too focused on trying to get through to Jean.

Tony moved to get a hold of James, and as he picked him up from Scott, the little guy started to put up a fight, staring up at the firebird in the sky with tear streaks easy to see on his cheeks. "No! Want Scoot an' _Eeenie_!"

"James, let go," Scott said as James struggled. "You need to be _safe."_

By that time, James was flat out crying for Jean, but he was also far too little to argue with them. For just a moment, Jean turned in time to see it as James was holding his hands up to her, his little voice hitching as he called out quieter and quieter for her. And for a moment, the flames drew back - just a bit. Jean was in control - just long enough to really feel the injustice of it all. And just long enough to feel the pure heartbreak that the Phoenix needed to really start sinking its talons into her.

Tony took James and held him tight until James gave up and buried his face in Tony's shoulder - just before Tony got him out of there, leaving Scott and Steve to deal with the rest of the mess.

_Jean, come on. We need to get home. The kids … we need to be there. James needs us too. You know it._

Even if the fires were burning bright, Steve could see the difference as Jean looked toward Scott. It wasn't the same fury as the Phoenix had alone, and Steve could see that she was struggling for control, her face contorted with the effort.

Kurt teleported to where Scott and Steve were, frowning over the familiar scene. "They share a telepathic connection," he explained to Steve, since he had no idea what the Avengers did and didn't know.

"That certainly explains a lot," Steve said quietly, though he kept his focus on watching Jean. "Tony just got James out of here. I don't think him tagging along helped at all."

"She's fighting it," Kurt argued. "She needs something good. The Phoenix feeds on anger, destruction, all the worst things…" He let his shoulders drop. "I'm sorry. I have only been feeding that… My best friend…he ..."

"I know," Steve said. "We saw what happened to them. I'm sorry, Kurt."

"Yes." Kurt looked toward Jean, who had her gaze locked on Scott as she tried to fight the Phoenix. "So much has happened, Captain. So much that can never be undone."

"I just don't understand how it happened so _fast_ ," Steve said in a breath.

Kurt frowned and turned his way fully. "Captain, I wouldn't call this fast. 'Fast' is a mob whipped up in a frenzy at a whim to kill a blue demon or turn against a goddess of the weather. This was planned, careful murder and torture. There was nothing 'fast' about it."

Steve let his shoulders drop at that. "I know. It's not .. I'm not being clear. We couldn't find where you all had gone, and honestly - we thought you were hitting them back." He turned toward Kurt. "I don't mean anything cold by it, I don't. But a couple weeks to those two … even in the worst circumstances ... "

"Do you know how Logan died?" Kurt asked, his tone almost as deep as a low growl.

"Only that he did it to himself," Steve replied. "I still don't understand how-"

"Until today, he was only on the edge," Kurt said, though he had turned his gaze from Steve to the fire. "He … he was close already. They killed Jubilee. They held our children over our heads and ordered him to torture and mutilate our teammates or the children would pay for it. And when Victor Creed told him his son was dead then tortured and killed his wife in front of him - in front of _all_ of us - what on Earth would keep him here?" He asked, though Steve could hear the bitterness ringing in his tone as Kurt's composure cracked.

What little was left for Steve to hold onto his _own_ composure with was clearly gone and he stared back at Kurt as if he'd been slapped. "I didn't know it happened like that."

"There is a lot you never knew." When Steve looked like he was reeling and had no response, Kurt simply turned his attention back to the Phoenix, his eyes narrowed as he abruptly changed the subject. "She should have gotten control by now."

The Phoenix had taken Jean higher into the air than before, and the firebird in the sky was far bigger than before - despite Scott's best efforts. It was clear he was trying everything, even on his knees and begging Jean to pull it back. And she was trying with everything she had. She was. But she was _losing._

The last time this had happened, Logan had been the one to stop it. And even when Jean had come back, Kurt knew Logan had always considered it his job to step in if things ever got that bad again. But Logan wasn't _there_ to stop it when Jean's face contorted in agony as she fought with tears in her eyes against the cosmic firebird whispering lies and promises in her ear. All that she could ever want could be hers … if only she'd _give in_ and let go.

But Jean was still psychically linked to Scott. And even if no one else could hear it…. Scott heard every lie. Every empty promise. He saw the world the Phoenix promised it could give her - with all of their friends and the professor back to life, alive and whole … and God help him, the idea of it all being _undone_ was enough to make Scott's heart ache even though he, too, knew it was a hollow lie. It was so strong a picture, though. Such a deep temptation... and it was more than Jean could fight when all she wanted was her life back - and the lives of those she loved who had been discarded like simple garbage.

And it wasn't just the team. Jean could see her parents and her sister, Sara, who had died a few years earlier, smiling and laughing as she tossed Nate in the air, only to let him down gently so he could rush off and play with a grinning and laughing James - both of whom looked to be a couple years older than they were right now. It was a glimpse of a future that Jean _desperately_ wanted deep down in her bones. The knowledge that it was ultimately a lie … and that if given the chance, the Phoenix would destroy everything and everyone that Jean held dear … _No._

But she couldn't stop it. She wanted to, she wanted to _so_ badly, but there wasn't enough strength left in her to fight it back. Even as she tried to reach through the psychic connection with Scott in a last-ditch effort to have him help build her up stronger - she could feel the fire taking a deeper hold on her mind. All she wanted in that moment was her _husband_. But it wasn't enough. Her face contorted, and she drew in a sobbing breath even as the breath was knocked _out_ of Scott for how deeply in despair she was.

As Kurt watched, Jean closed her eyes and tipped her head back, and a screech rent the air. When she looked their way again, there was no recognition in her gaze, and that was what decided it for Kurt.

"Get Scott out of here," he told Steve over his shoulder as he unsheathed both swords.

"What? Why? What can you even _do_ against the Phoenix?" Steve asked, pulling himself together. "Kurt -" He shook his head as he watched Jean and the fires growing faster than before - hotter and wilder. "There can't be much that can be done."

"No," Kurt agreed. "We have very limited options." He took a deep breath and gave Steve a tight smile. "Please, when you talk to Ororo, don't tell her how much I regretted egging Jean on." With that, before Steve could object, Kurt stepped back and teleported away, leaving Steve in the quickly-dissipating brimstone.

He reappeared exactly where he meant to be, both swords thrust out so that even if the fires around him and Jean were too hot, both of his swords were through her chest before the metal could melt.

For just a moment, the whole world seemed to stand still. Kurt and Jean were both suspended in the air, and even the fire around them paused as the Phoenix flickered from Jean's eyes, giving her one last private moment in her connection with Scott before the fire went out. All at once, the world began to move again, and Jean and Kurt simply dropped from the sky.


	6. Don't Shoot The Messenger

Without even thinking about it, Steve just started running to where Jean and Kurt had fallen, one hand at his comm, shouting for _someone_ to get there and help, but of course, only the little group that had come was left. And while Steve was panicking, Tony made his way back with James.

"I know this is a bad time, but I need to go help Cap, and you said to keep James from seeing anything else, so …" Tony very gently handed James back to Scott with whispered instructions for James to keep an eye on Scott before he rushed over to both assess the situation and to get Steve to breathe again.

Of course, Scott had known the second Jean was gone, even if he hadn't seen how it happened. One minute, he was talking with her in their minds, and the next, it was deafeningly quiet. And he was barely conscious enough to take James before the little guy hugged him, and Scott wrapped himself around James. He wasn't able to do much more than that, but it was clear to anyone that saw the two of them that James was doing his level best to wipe Scott's face of tears beneath his wraps while quietly sniffling himself.

Tony did what he could to settle out Steve while a transport was called in to gather up the two fallen X-Men. Had they been in a situation without a little kid, he'd have just dealt with them himself, but … for how much James had wanted his Aunt Jean … and for how close he knew the kid was to the Elf, he didn't even want to attempt it. Once the transport arrived, he made his way over to Scott and James and dropped down to sit with the two of them. "We can help with the little ones, if it gets to be too much," Tony offered quietly.

"No." Scott kept one hand on the back of James' head. "They need to be safe."

"Then at least let me come up with something to help you see again," Tony said.

"Why." In just the one word, Tony could hear just how much Scott didn't trust the offer.

"Because, like you said, they need to be safe," Tony replied. "And no better judgement call on them than you. Obviously, Logan knew what he was doing when he picked you."

Scott froze, his mouth slightly open, before he let out a wordless noise. "Fine."

"Like it or not, Summers, we're going to do all we can to help, and I know that has to sound hollow coming off of all of this, but … we know we blew it."

"No kidding."

Again, the group made the trip to Genosha, and this time, on the way back, Steve tried to at least attempt to check on James as well as Scott. But that was shut down fast when James pushed him away with a stern-sounding 'no' that was laced with a touch of a growl.

"I got him," Scott said quietly, angling his body so he was between James and Steve.

"I see that," Steve said, letting out a weary sigh as he watched the two of them. James had _never_ done that with him, and it stung, if he was being honest. "Tony's offering a place for you all to use until you decide where you want to be. And … that should give you time to make your arrangements. I can't even begin to say how sorry I am about all of this, Scott."

"Yeah." Scott had his eyes covered, but even if he hadn't, he wouldn't have been able to look at Steve. "Yeah. There's a … we have an arrangement with Magneto."

"So they'll be in Genosha, then?" Steve asked quietly, hoping that Scott didn't plan to turn to Magneto as a permanent solution.

"Maybe only until I can set something up," Scott said slowly. "I"m not sure yet."

"That's what Tony was offering," Steve said, watching him openly. "Anything you need."

"My kids safe are in Genosha," Scott said. "My team…"

"I know; we're headed there now," Steve agreed. "I'm not trying to divert you. I'm just trying to make sure you know there are other options available."

Scott nodded, though it was clear to Steve that he was still trying to process everything and wasn't quite up to thinking. "I know a little place. I took James fishing there before. It's Logan's."

"I'll make sure the jet you take doesn't have any tracking capabilities," Steve said. "No reason for anyone to bother you."

"Good." Scott nodded. "I need to keep them safe."

It was uncomfortably quiet for a short moment as Steve tried to find something to say that might help. "I know for a fact that James destroyed Tony on a level I didn't know was possible. If you say the word, you'll have him bending over backwards to do anything you want. All of us will, really."

"I just need my kids and …" Scott paused. "I … I'll let you know. We had a good security system before. Only reason he got in was he blew it up."

Steve let out a breath. "When word gets out … on top of the best Tony can come up with, I know for a fact you'll have Natasha invested. Might not mean too much to you, but she might surprise you."

"Fine. But they're the only two who can come. I don't need their location getting out. You know how dangerous that is."

"Understood," Steve said, nodding to himself. "No one else."

"Fine." Scott leaned back with James.

The rest of the flight to Genosha was quiet, and when they made their request to land, again, neither of them was surprised when they had the same group to meet them on the landing strip. This time, it was Tony that took the initiative to go talk with Erik. "We're leaving them both quinjets," Tony told him. "I'm working on something for Scott to enable him to see, you can run it by your tech people when I get it done - there will be no GPS, no trackers or tracers of any kind on anything, but I'll need to come back to make sure that it works right."

"You'll understand if I don't take your word for it and insist on my own labs."

"That's fine," Tony said, nodding at that. "I have a list - if you don't have some of the components here, I can arrange for them to get here without anyone else stepping foot on your soil." He didn't try to hide the clear regret in his voice. "I know it's late, but I need to do what I can to help now. And I can help."

"Clean up the mess you never bothered to help prevent," Erik said, not bothering to keep his own anger hidden.

And surprising Erik, Tony simply nodded in agreement. "If there's anything left of the labs of the people that started this mess, I will go in myself and take them apart."

Erik watched him for any sign of a lie and then very slowly nodded. "Yes," he said slowly. "If we can salvage his sight, then at least _one_ of Charles' children can be saved."

"All due respect, there is no 'if' in this equation," Tony said. "I'll make it happen."

"Then I hope to see you quickly."

Tony held up both arms. "Just tell me where I need to go. I'll start right now."

Erik watched Tony carefully before he gestured with one hand - and Wanda joined them, looking worn as well. But she did smile tightly when she saw Tony.

"Mister Stark will be working in our labs. Under careful supervision," Erik said pointedly.

Tony turned to Wanda, doing his best to ignore Erik's warning or at least pretend like he didn't care about it even as the armor he was still wearing vibrated slightly. "I have an idea, but I need a lot of very small parts. I can get Pepper to package them up into part of a suit to get them here, if you want to catch them."

Wanda nodded and made it a point to take Tony's arm, which at least had the vibration letting up slightly. Though it wasn't until they were out of earshot that she told Tony in a low tone, "The way he's feeling right now, I'm not sure it was such a good idea to come in the suit, Tony. He's ready to go to war over this."

"I don't blame him," Tony said softly. "I wasn't kidding, either. If there are any traces left of the people that started this, I'll be right there burning them to the ground."

Wanda glanced up at him before she broke form and gave him a kiss on the spot on his armor where his cheek would be. "If Jean left anything of them at all, I will wipe them from existence." She glared and settled back on her heels. "They killed my brother."

"I know," Tony said quietly. "And both of the Howletts are gone."

"I heard. I don't know how Kurt is going to deal with that, but I don't blame him for giving the Phoenix a joyride."

Tony stopped and opened up the faceplate so she could read his expression. "No, Wanda … Kurt died with Jean. He killed her."

Wanda froze. "...what?"

"That's why we're here. We brought them back - Cyclops tried to talk her down, but it didn't work …"

Wanda narrowed her eyes and then shook her head, holding her arms tight to herself. "I'm tired of this, Tony. This is why I agreed to come here to stay with my father in the first place."

"I know," Tony said softly. "And as far as I'm concerned, we're not standing in anyone's way when it comes to stopping genocide. I didn't know it was this bad."

Wanda frowned and then put her hand on Tony's arm. "I wish you hadn't lost your innocence, you know."

"I wish we hadn't lost our friends," Tony countered.

"Me too." She led him around a corner to where the elevator would take them down to the lab but didn't say anything until they arrived. "If this doesn't work, get out of here fast. I know you think you're God, but I'm just warning you now…"

"It'll work," Tony said. "I know exactly how much trouble I'm facing, and if I can't do this … well … maybe it'd be earned."

"Not really," Wanda said, frowning up at him. "Tony… I didn't think you liked Scott that much…"

"It's not about him. He's got three little kids depending on him now," Tony said. "And he can't do right by them if he can't _see_ them. Just James on his own … the kid doesn't say much - and I know. He's little, but he gets his point across with _looks_ , you know?"

"Billy does the same thing," Wanda said. "It's not easy."

"Right, so just imagine trying to keep track of Billy without being able to _see_ him." Tony gave her a look. "I have to do something."

"So, when are you and Pepper going to have your own, then?" Wanda asked, a quiet smirk at the corner of her mouth.

"Ought to get married first, don't you think?" Tony said, quietly bristling at the question.

"You haven't done that yet? Really, Tony, I've been gone for how long…?"

Tony hedged and shrugged one shoulder as he quietly shook his head.

"Give me a wedding, Tony. We need something - _anything_ \- good right now."

"I'd need a bride first," Tony said, finally turning to face her. "And Pepper's not it. If you must know."

Wanda looked honestly surprised. "You were head-over-heels when I left!"

"Yeah, and when I wasn't moving fast enough for her, she started trying all kinds of … jealousy… games, you know what … I don't really want to talk about it."

Wanda let out a breath and squeezed his arm. "I'm sorry."

"Its fine," Tony said. "She and Happy are making an honest run at it." He snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "But hey - you might get an invite to that if you're really hard up for weddings."

"Maybe," Wanda said. "I just need something to go right. Just one thing."

"Against all sense, I've got a few dozen drones deployed at the original FoH base - just to see what, exactly, the damage was, how many mutants were killed there in this last … mess. When I get the numbers, I'll let you know. If you'd like. Also low-key looking for Xavier. Figure they ought to be able to have all of them for the services if they can." Tony was frowning to himself as he stopped at the bench that had a whole slew of tools and supplies laid out. "In the meantime …" He looked around the lab. "At least I can get started while I wait for my parts." With that, Tony gave Wanda a muted, forced smile and then stepped out of his suit as he got to work at an almost frantic, concentrated pace that Wanda had seen him fall into so many times before.

* * *

As for the rest of the survivors, no one really had to ask what had happened once Scott and James got back. They'd seen that specific kind of hurt before.

Ororo had been holding it together with strings and tape until then, but that… seeing Scott so broken … and with the glaring absence of Kurt … she knew what the score was even before it was confirmed, and _that_ burst through all of the strings and tape and _hope_ she'd been clinging to. The dark black storm clouds that had been gathering and swirling overhead finally let loose with an earth-rumbling peal of thunder that hid her sob, and the citizens of Genosha sought shelter from the tempest the goddess inadvertently created as nature itself wept along with her.

Rachel was old enough that she knew what was going on, even if her ability to grasp the permanence was a little shaky. The basics were really all she needed to know, though. For instance, she knew her dad was sad and that a lot of her friends were gone.

Nate and James had fallen asleep with Scott, but Rachel slipped over to Ororo and put her hand on Ororo's knee. "I love you, Stormy," Rachel said earnestly. "Lots and lots okay?"

Storm took a moment to give Rachel's hand a squeeze. "And I you," she said, though Rachel was frowning at her wet face.

Rachel rubbed her face against Ororo's side as she snuggled in. "I'm sad too," she said quietly. "Everyone is sad."

"They are," Ororo agreed, trying to smile for the little girl.

"Do you need a hug?"

"Always, little one."

Rachel nodded and then wrapped her arms around Ororo's middle, listening to the rain against the roof of the house, which was enough to soothe the goddess at least a little bit.

* * *

Over the next few days, the surviving X-Men were visited by not only Scott's brother and sister-in-law, who were clearly destroyed, but Wanda as well. She hesitated to bring the twins along, all things considered. Not because she didn't trust the group - but she didn't want them overwhelmed by a pair of highly curious and helpful little boys. Not until the kids from Westchester started to show some kind of emotion other than _numb_ , anyhow. She knew that Billy in particular would bend over backwards to _help_. And she wasn't sure watching those affected that it was the right time. Yet.

Instead, she helped Tony.

For as fast and dedicated as Tony was to his project … in the end, it took more time for Magneto's people to clear Tony's work than it took for Tony to create new bionic eyes for Scott. Finally, after what felt like forever to Tony, several of Magneto's people brought Scott to the lab so Tony could make sure that what he'd created for Scott was going to work properly for him.

"Sorry it took so long," Tony said as he took a seat near the bench, his tools close at hand.

Scott let out a breath as he sat down. "It's fine. Rachel is making a game of telling me everything she sees, so I haven't gone without."

"So you know, this isn't _just_ a fitting," Tony said. "They should be done. All of it. This is for tiny adjustments and confirmation that it'll work for you."

Scott tipped his head to the side. "Yes, well, we'll see what you've got. Nate picked out my glasses, so if they're really that offensive to you…" It was the first attempt at wry humor he had made, and Tony somehow wasn't surprised it was dark humor.

"No, you don't understand," Tony said before he let out a breath. "You can keep the glasses. Whatever glasses you want. That won't impact what I made." He sat back while Magneto's staff came over to do the actual fitting with Scott. "The only thing I wasn't sure of was the color."

"Oh, I'm boring. They were brown," Scott said dryly.

"Well, I went with blue," Tony said.

"Fine by me. Nate will like that."

There were a few semi-uncomfortable moments as the doctors finished, and then, Tony quietly gave him a moment to process. Scott blinked his eyes as the bionics powered on … and slowly, for the first time in weeks, he could _see_. Scott looked like he was in shock as he slowly took in the details of the room. The doctors were watching both Scott and Tony carefully, which was when Tony spoke up again. "We have a whole slew of color and focus tests when you're ready."

"Yeah." Scott was still looking around. "I'm not used to … color."

"That actually makes sense," Tony said. "I rushed this set, though. I can change anything you don't like."

"No, that's not what I meant," Scott said. "I just meant - it's been a long time since I saw anything other than red. Let me get used to it."

"Then maybe I should wait to tell you the other features," Tony said slowly.

"No, go ahead," Scott said.

"Alright, so, you can _ask_ for night vision or infrared. It's keyed to your voice only, so no one will be able to tweak that for you," Tony said. "When I get back to my lab, I already have ideas for a better pair that will have scanners that will help you with threat assessment - not too much different than the stuff I have onboard my suit."

Scott finally turned to look at Tony and blinked a few times in open surprise. "That… will help immensely."

Tony nodded and let out a breath of obvious relief. "Alright. Well. Consider this the starter version."

"Thank you." Scott reached up to rub a hand over his face. "I didn't expect… all of this."

"You know I don't do anything halfway, right?" Tony said. "Especially when I screwed up so badly already."

Scott frowned Tony's way. "You sure you're alright, Stark?"

"Yep. Fine." Tony nodded to himself, though it was clear he very much was not alright.

"Wasn't anyone's fault but Graydon Creed," Scott said, surprising himself with his concern - but then, he knew that look intimately.

"Still," Tony said with a shrug. "Alright. I'm going to suit up. Head out. I told Magneto that the two Quinjets are for you and your group. I'll grab Cap and get out of your hair, just … let us know when it's time … you know. We want to help see them off and pay our respects."

"It will probably be a combined service. Too many… it would be too much to do them all one right after another."

"No kidding," Tony breathed out. "You've got my number, so …"

"Yeah." Scott got to his feet and looked around. "Thanks again. I know our teams don't… mesh. So I wouldn't have blamed you-"

"Yeah, that's not gonna work anymore. _I_ blame me," Tony said. "Just let us know when you need help. No questions asked but when and where."

"Honestly, I don't know that the team will… well, there aren't enough of us…"

"It's not just about the teams," Tony said. "But if you want to keep working for good and don't want to carry all the liability, you can join us."

"It's not about liability," Scott said. "I just don't know if we can ask anyone to keep… to come back after this."

"There's no time limit on this, Scott. Take your time; take care of your family and friends. We'll be here when you're ready either way."

Scott nodded gently before he put a hand on Tony's shoulder. "I'll call you when it's all set up. Thanks."

"Anytime," Tony replied, and when he stepped back from Scott, he made his way over to where he'd stashed the armor and quickly suited up. "Wanda seems to think I've got a death wish," he said with a little smirk.

"Knowing How Magneto feels about the Avengers? Wearing that suit? You might."

"Haven't got anything else, and the rock tee and sneakers seemed like I was under-dressed," Tony deadpanned.

"True enough. But you didn't murder me, so he might let you come back."

"One way to find out," Tony said before he waited for his official escort to take him away from the lab. While he waited, he hedged on telling Scott the _other_ bit that he'd found out from his drones, but … seeing as Scott was taking charge of the funeral arrangements, it really was something he had to do. "Oh, Scott. I know there's no good time to tell you this kind of thing, but … I had sent out a small army of drones to search that site - where you were being held. I was looking for … well, I was looking for answers, if I'm being honest."

"And?" Scott said, half holding his breath on what it was that Tony might be hanging onto.

"I've recovered the professor's body along with the body of a young man that DNA matched up with Logan. He _did_ lose a son; it just … wasn't the one he _thought_ he'd lost."

Scott nodded slowly. "Akihiro," he said, though he barely breathed it out. "I didn't know him well, but Logan told K about him when they were married…" He shook his head and then swore under his breath. "The bastard wasn't lying."

"Probably ought to elaborate on that," Tony said.

"Sabretooth told Logan just before he killed K that his son had been asking for him when he died," Scott but out through his teeth, his hands in fists at his sides. "When K died, Logan thought he had lost _everyone_ in his family."

Tony stared at Scott for a long moment. "And because of this guy … he wasn't lying."

"Logan would have known if he was," Scott said, still visibly angry. " _Dammit_ , this shouldn't have happened."

"He played him," Tony said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"He'd never been able to before. Not that I ever saw," Scott said. "If it wasn't so damn _believable,_ it would never have worked."

"But he wasn't technically lying. Logan just … didn't think about the other … this Akihiro?"

"They weren't close," Scott said. "At all. The fact that he was asking for Logan… he had to have been well past the breaking point. Logan wouldn't have believed it."

Tony nodded at that. "We found Creed's body too. Both of them."

"Stark, I don't give a damn about them. Leave them to _rot_. I don't care."

"No, I just … I know how much of a pain Sabretooth was, and you should know he's not coming back. He was pretty well torched."

"Good." Scott made a visible effort to calm back down before he turned toward Tony. "And… the professor…?"

"He's waiting for you in New York ... " Tony let out a breath. "I'm sure he'd have wanted to be home."

"Yeah." Scott was almost holding his breath before he sat down again. "Yeah. He… yeah."

"Anything you need," Tony said as his escort arrived. "Just say the word."

"Thanks," Scott said in a whisper, all the anger from before gone at the thought of burying the professor. "Really."


	7. Stage Four Grief: Depression

Scott took his time leaving the lab, honestly torn on how to process everything while he was taking in the fact that everything on Genosha was so … vividly bright. But the joy and wonder at regaining his sight was still bitterly tinged with the heavy losses they'd sustained. And those losses were touching every single facet of their lives. For instance, Scott nearly lost his breath when, on seeing the beautiful flowers that lined the sidewalk, his first reaction was to automatically reach out to project to Jean what he was seeing, only to very suddenly need to find a bench to rebalance himself for a good, long while.

It was emotional whiplash of the worst kind, and Scott was already hurting before that had started up. The confusion and joy of finally being able to see in living color instead of shades of red since he was a _kid_ was almost enough to make him momentarily forget that he'd lost the girl who held his heart. But that only lasted long enough for him to instinctively reach for her. Because she'd been there, in his head since …. Well, since the first time the Phoenix had nearly destroyed their world. Since the flaming firebird had chosen his first love to be its host. And even the memory of how that telepathic link had been forged was now tainted, since even that had been partially thanks to the bloodthirsty, _lying ,_ cosmic parasite that had _stolen her_.

If he wasn't so damned depressed over all of it, Scott would have been furious. But he didn't have the energy to be that angry. Not when he knew it wouldn't bring Jean back. Not when he knew what little energy he had left was best spent taking care of their kids … and Logan's orphaned son.

Scott turned and found a clock that read out the time clearly - something that he might not have been able to read properly considering that the numbers were red - and he forced himself to his feet. He'd been gone for far too long. Especially when it was obvious that James got nervous when left with Bobby and Kitty for too long - as if he was just waiting for someone else to step in and take him to live with someone _new_.

He was almost back to the house where the team was holed up for the moment when he heard his name and turned to see Erik making his way over. It was a little different seeing the Magneto regalia in living color, though he tried not to look too surprised all the same at the garish combination - even if the red and purple were distressed and battle-worn.

"Hello, Erik," Scott said softly as Erik touched down lightly. Scott didn't know it, but Erik had rarely been walking the past week or so since the X-Men had been rescued from the brink of their own executions. He'd simply been too furious.

"How are you feeling, Scott?" Erik asked gently, though it was clear he was studying him as they walked.

"Still getting used to it," Scott admitted. There was no point in lying about it. "It's a shock going from the visor to bandages to living color."

"Stark pulled through, then," Erik said, sounding almost surprised.

"He did," Scott said. "Even better vision than I had as a kid." He was sure Erik's men would tell him about the upgrades, but old habits had Scott holding back the rest of it.

"I'll be honest," Erik told him. "I had my doubts about letting him remain here, even for this."

"I spoke with Storm. If anything had gone wrong, if there were implants or worse, she'd have taken the kids and gotten lost on the wind." Scott tipped his chin up. "I'm not risking them. Ever."

"You know you're welcome to stay here, where it's _safer_ , Scott." Erik was watching him carefully. "Even if I know you were only planning to be here until you could get your feet under you."

"If it was just my kids, I'd consider it," Scott said. "But I think James needs to be able to get out in the woods. When he comes into his mutation, he'll need the quiet, not an island full of people."

"You don't know for sure that he'll be anything like his parents," Erik said.

"I know it's the most likely outcome. And I know from dealing with them _both_ that crowds overwhelm their senses." Scott crossed his arms. "It's not something James will be able to control. Not like what our powers were."

"You still have several _years_ before that would be a concern, my boy."

"I know." Scott let out a long breath. "And you have a point about safety in numbers. Just … let me think about it."

The two of them walked together in relative silence, but in trying to avoid looking at Magneto, Scott saw all of the mutants who obviously knew who he was - and what had happened to his team, if the sympathetic looks were anything to go by. It only made the quiet walk to the house that much more uncomfortable, but Scott had to find a better subject to discuss, or he was going to lose his fine grasp on his emotions.

"You should be at the memorial." Scott swallowed hard, a muscle working in his jaw as he dug for the words while Erik was still quietly in shock at their current, strange cease-fire. "I'm sorry. About the professor. I know he thought a lot of you, and the respect he had ...I know you meant a lot to each other."

"You've lost so much in such a short span of time," Erik said quietly, clearly touched by what Scott had said.

"I couldn't save him," Scott said, looking past Erik with his hands still in fists.

"We couldn't save any of them once those wheels set into motion," Erik said in a sad, metered tone.

Scott was quiet for a long time before he finally met Erik's gaze. "You were right," he said thickly, his voice catching in his throat.

"And I've never wanted to have been wrong so badly in my life," Erik replied with a tight smile.

"I'm sorry about Pietro," Scott said, his hand on the doorknob. "Kurt told me what happened. If it's any consolation, K was operating under threat of my daughter's death - and she knew that Creed had plans to use him. I wouldn't be surprised if that was going to be Creed's path _here_. Pietro would be killed or worse along with the rest of us."

Erik's gaze hardened a bit at that. "There's no way to know that for certain, is there?"

"I know it's hollow." Scott looked down. "Not one of my people had a choice in it. She was desperate, and I think … I think she fully expected to die. Just not … how she did. I can't make it any better or apologize enough."

"Let's not talk about the what ifs or could have beens," Erik said. "We both still have our losses to deal with."

"Then I can only say I'm sorry," Scott said.

"And I the same," Erik replied as Scott finally opened the door and the two of them stepped inside. The two Summers children rushed over, clearly excited to see their father, but James stayed back - warily watching the two men.

Nate immediately started to explore Scott's face with his hands, his eyes wide and his expression one of awe. "Daddy!" Nate declared happily. "Blue! Blue blue blue blue blue!"

It was the first time Scott cracked a smile. "What do you think, Rachel?"

"I dunno," she said, scrunching her nose up. "Where did your glasses go?"

"I don't need them," Scott explained. "When my eyes got hurt, it hurt my powers." He crouched to pick her up too. "Is that okay? No more optic blasts?"

Rachel looked shocked and then looked closer until she was nose-to-nose with Scott. "No more glasses?"

"No more glasses."

"O...Kay." She narrowed her eyes and then nodded once. "Okay. No glasses. You can just play with me an' Nate an' James, cuz we don't have optical blasts either."

"What about Mia?" Scott asked, failing at hiding his amusement at Rachel's assessment.

"She's with her mom," Rachel said. "Her mom is real sad." She glanced over her shoulder to James. "James too. Cuz of everyone dying."

Scott nodded at that. "What about you, sweetheart?"

"I'm kinda sad too," Rachel said. "But I'm tryna not be. Because everyone needs hugs, and I'm _really_ busy makin' sure they get hugs."

Scott kissed the side of her head to hide the fact that he was so emotional hearing her say something that was so very _Jean_. "It's alright to be sad, Rach."

"Okay," she said, melting into a hug as Scott carried her and Nate to sit down with them both - and made sure to beckon James over too if he wanted it so he didn't feel left out.

James was slow about making his way over from where he'd been sitting in the window watching everyone as they walked by the house. Half of his attention was on Erik as he haltingly hedged closer to the Summers family. He was wary of all the new people coming in and out even though he was watching every one of them, and it was obvious that James was adrift. Scott knew it better than anyone else there, too. He scooped James up and then bent close to his ear. "We're not staying here forever, I promise," he whispered. "We're going to the woods soon. And we're going fishing. Okay?"

James still was watching Erik, even as Scott spoke with him, but finally, he very quietly nodded his head, though with all of the new changes - and Scott's new eye - James was standoffish about _everything_ , even being close to Scott … unless Scott was walking out of the door, that is.

Scott let out a breath and tapped James on the shoulder. "Hey, buddy, I know it's a lot. Do you want 'em brown instead?" He tipped his head to catch James' gaze. "I don't care."

James stayed silent and shook his head lightly.

"Well, that's probably good anyhow- I think Nate is attached." Scott said, trying to get a smile out of the boys. "You can pick my shades, though. I still need sunglasses, and I'd like a break from red."

James shook his head again and tried to take a step back. "Rachel can pick."

Scott let out a breath. "Alright, James," he said gently. "I'm just - just trying to be a good godfather, alright? I don't want you to be left out."

At that, James turned away from Erik entirely and looked up at Scott for a moment before he stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Scott's neck to snuggle in without another word.

Scott let his shoulders relax with the hug, even as the two Summers kids joined in. "Yeah. Love you too."

Erik had just opened his mouth to ask a question when there was a light knock on the door that broke up the little snuggle fest. James let go of Scott quickly and zipped off to a more hidden spot- though Scott realized he needed to learn the layout of the house before he could do much else. He wondered for an instant how many hiding spots James had found for himself for when he was overwhelmed. But he didn't have time to think about it much when Wanda opened the door and let herself in.

"I hope it's a good time," she said just before a pair of three-year-olds darted around her legs, and Vision stepped up to stand behind her. "I held the boys back as long as I could, but they really want to spend some time with kids their own age." Billy made a loop back to his parents, and Wanda rested her hand on the top of his head as he hugged her legs, smiling up at her. "Say hello to Scott, boys."

"HI!" Billy and Tommy sang out - from opposite sides of the room as Tommy raced around.

Billy let go of his mother before she could stop him, and he bounced over to the living room, barely pausing to wave at his grandfather with a grin before he climbed up on the opposite end of the couch that Scott and his kids were on. He smiled at the Summers kids for a moment, and though Rachel smiled back a little, Nate didn't hesitate to climb down from his father and head over to play with Tommy - and the cars he'd brought along.

Wanda gave her father a look, though the others seemed to miss it, and a moment later, she took the seat next to Scott when Billy followed Rachel over to where she'd been working on a puzzle. "Sorry for swinging by without the warning," she said. "The boys were pushing to meet everyone. They heard all about your little ones from Alex and Lorna, so of course, they wanted to see if they were as fun as he'd said they were."

Scott nodded, honestly glad to see Rachel and Nate _trying,_ at least. But he couldn't help but turn his head and look for James. "They can use the boost, honestly," Scott said, and a moment later, he'd tried out the scanner to see _where_ James had tucked himself away without alarming him.

When he found James hiding under a corner table that had a cloth that covered it to the floor, Scott made his way over to him and simply stood there while he chatted with Wanda. When she frowned at his odd placement in the room, he pointed to the table to tip her off but not entirely bust James out as to where he was hidden.

Wanda made a face that showed exactly how much she wanted to pull James out and _snuggle_ him, but instead, she nodded and stayed close by while Scott told her how he was adjusting to the _colors._

Which drew Tommy and Billy closer. "My favorite color is _red_ ," Billy said, smiling up at both of them but staying just out of Wanda's reach.

"My fav'rit's _green_ ," Tommy announced, just as Nate threw his arms up and shouted out 'bluuueee!'

"What about you, Rachel? What's your favorite color?" Wanda asked, keeping half an eye out for James and hoping the kids would draw him out.

"I like a lot of them," Rachel said. "I like green because my eyes are green, but I like pink, too. And light purple cause lotsa flowers are purple that smell pretty." She looked around them for a moment as the twins bounced in place, only to gasp and look up at Scott. "Daddy! Where's James?"

"I think he's hiding," Scott said. "He'll come out when he's ready."

"Ooooooh! Hide an' seek!" Tommy laughed, clapping his hands as he bounced in place _almost_ enough to fall over.

"No..." Scott tried to tell him, in a vain attempt to slow him down - but it was too late, and the three boys rushed off to find hiding spots.

Twice, Tommy returned just to circle the adults before darting off another direction - and once more to inform Rachel that she was 'it,' since she hadn't gone to hide. So Scott almost missed it when Billy came from the other direction and apparently decided that the little table that James was tucked into was the _perfect_ hiding spot.

Scott was _close_ to smiling, but when he saw Billy slipping under the table cloth, he turned to try and stop him - but it was a little too late, judging by the surprised sounding 'oh!' that Billy almost squeaked out when he saw the spot was taken. "Do you wanna share spots?" Billy whispered loud enough for Wanda and Scott to hear - and his tone shifted to one of deep concern when James' only answer was to curl in tighter around himself, his arms around his knees and his face half hidden as he folded himself over.

Billy lost much of his smile as he watched James react, and instead of pushing or trying to talk, Billy echoed James' posture as he scooted in to sit next to him, though he wasn't quite ready to sit entirely still like James was doing. He wiggled and tried to be still, and when James didn't answer any of his _very_ soft questions, Billy unfolded himself and stuck his head out from under the table cloth to look up at his mother. "Mom," he said quietly - and very serious. "Help! He _sad_."

Wanda glanced at Scott and crouched down. "Who's sad?"

Billy looked very serious as he picked up the table cloth a little as if Wanda could climb in and fit with them. "He is. But I don't know his name 'cause he doesn't _talk_."

She peeked under to see James looking up at her - still folded up, still hiding as best as he could - and then she gently pulled Billy out and ran her hand over his hair and held him almost in a hug with her other arm. "That's because he lost his mom and dad," Wanda whispered in Billy's ear. "He feels very sad about them."

Billy was wide-eyed as he stared back at her. "Do we have'ta find 'em?"

"No, sweetheart," Wanda said as Billy went still to listen closer. "James is going to stay with Scott and Nate and Rachel from now on."

Billy nodded at that. "I think he _really_ needs a hug."

"I think so too," Wanda said, then quietly picked up the edge of the table cloth and offered James her hand. "Hello, I'm sorry we interrupted your hiding spot."

James's shoulders went up to his ears, but he didn't run the other way.

"This is Billy, and I'm Wanda," she said as she sat cross-legged on the floor. "Would it be okay if we gave you a little hug? We hugged all the other kids here, and I'd hate to miss any of you."

James thought about it for a long moment before he very carefully unfolded himself and slipped toward them, only to pause and look up at Scott, who nodded once before James stood up, still half curled into himself as he tried to look smaller. Wanda reached out and gently pulled him in the rest of the way, letting him go at his pace, but also making it clear that she wanted to follow through on the hug … and surprising Scott, once Wanda had her arm around him, James melted into her shoulder.

Wanda let out a little sigh and held the little guy there, though it wasn't long before first Billy - and then Tommy _and_ Nate -came in to join in. Of course, that only seemed to last for exactly as long as it took James to realize how _many_ people were around him … and then immediately start to squirm his way out of it. Which was easier said than done when a couple of snuggly, very small kids were involved.

Scott picked him out of the dogpile, and James leaned toward him as the other kids seemed to just run with a little snuggle pile without him. "You alright, bud?" Scott asked quietly, and for an instant, James looked toward the window before he shook his head 'no'. "I know. It's hard with all the people you don't know, but they just want to help." James didn't really nod as he hid his face in Scott's shoulder. "What can I do to help?"

"I wanna go home," James said, whisper quiet - but it was the most he'd said since they got to Genosha.

Scott doubled down on holding him a little tighter. "I know, and we won't stay much longer, alright?"

The kids played for a while longer, until the twins started showing signs of being worn and tired, and then Wanda and Vision scooped them up and took them out with a promise to see them again soon. Erik had stayed behind, watching Scott and the others as they interacted with the kids.

In particular, he couldn't help but focus on how Scott was with James, quietly watching the whole thing with a strange sort of frown. For one thing, it was no secret that Scott and Logan weren't terribly close, so the godfather title had been a surprise. But watching Scott with the littlest members of the group outside of Storm's blue-furred little girl … it was clear even before Scott could think it over properly what his answer was going to be to his invitation to stay on Genosha.

Erik stuck around until Scott got James and Nate to lay down for a nap - and Rachel insisted on tucking them in. Scott closed the door to the kids' room behind himself and came out to meet Erik.

"I can't stay here. I can't stay where people knew her," Scott said, trying to explain his thought process to avoid a fight. He just wanted to leave and stop _thinking_ about anything but the kids for a while. Especially with how traumatized they were over the losses they'd sustained.

"The door is always open should you change your mind," Erik said gently.

"Thank you," Scott said. "I'm only speaking for myself. Bobby, Kitty, Ororo, Hank - I don't know what they're thinking."

"As you well know, my offer is good for all of you," Erik replied as gently as he could. "I don't think I _could_ turn my back on Charles' old students."

Scott's eyes tightened, and he nodded. It was clear to Erik why Scott wouldn't be staying, seeing how affected he was by the kids - and how dependent they were already on each other. Scott was positively wrapped around the kids' fingers, and if any _one_ of the kids wanted out, he'd bend over backward to make it happen. The time simply wasn't right.

Bobby sat down beside Erik after Scott stepped back to check on the little ones, with a muttered, "Yeah, Logan shocked the heck out of … well, everyone when he told Scott who they wanted for godparents. K explained it better, though. Figured Scott and Jean would step in if anything happened…." He trailed off. "I mean, he was right. But you know. It sucks."

"I didn't realize …" Erik let the sentence fall.

"Yeah, I think they saw him do that thing?" Bobby tipped his head toward the semi-open bedroom door. "With Rachel? And it only was getting worse every time someone had a kid, so… clearly, it's a thing."

"I see."

"Yeah." Bobby let out a breath and turned to face Erik. "I know right now everyone's focused on the cleanup. And the funerals. And everything. But I gotta ask - did they get 'em all? I mean, not to downplay the Phoenix or anything, but there's the FoH and the MRD and Department H and it's not like there's a shortage?"

"It's been … very quiet," Erik said.

"Darn." Bobby glanced up quickly. "I mean - good. That's good. I just…" He let out a frustrated sound. "I didn't get to really _do_ \- after they knocked me out at the institute, I haven't gotten to do anything to hit back."

Erik looked surprised at that and turned toward Bobby. "I'm sure you'll find that even when one of those places is eradicated, more will show their ugly faces in short time."

"Yeah, it's just…" Bobby shook his head. "I got played. And I can't make it up to a dead guy. And it sucks."

"I don't know what you'd need to make up," Erik said. "But if you want to fight, you know I won't turn you away."

"Yeah, well, maybe I will," Bobby said, glancing toward Scott and Ororo, who were both clearly just hanging onto their respective kids to stay upright. "Not like the team's getting back together after this."

Erik frowned as he followed Bobby's gaze - and almost missed it when Kitty phased through the couch and made a space for herself to sit too. "You're not going anywhere without me," she informed Bobby, one finger pointed at his nose. "I didn't even get to _see_ Logan before he died. I'm getting my katana and fixing a few problems I _know_ the Phoenix didn't get to."

"You mean like Lady Deathstrike?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah, and some of those other idiots in Japan…" Kitty tipped her chin up. "I might not be able to bait out ninjas as easy without him, but I still know how to fight them."

"Once our official stuff is taken care of," Bobby said, nodding. "I'll go with you."

Kitty smiled grimly at that and then squeezed his arm. "I guess I can use a sidekick."

"If you want a sidekick, we can probably get Spidey to go with, too," Bobby pointed out.

Kitty smirked at that. "He would."

"Do you still have his number?" Bobby asked in the most low-key teasing Kitty had ever heard from him.

Kitty blinked at him and then shoved him in the shoulder. "I mean, yes, but - shut up!"

"Would you feel better if I passed him a note for you?" Bobby said with the start of a smile. "'Do you want to go on a world tour of butt kicking - check yes or no'."

"Are you asking for me or you, because you're _way_ too happy about this," Kitty shot back.

"You were cute with your flirting," Bobby said. "I can see it."

"He… shut up, Bobby."

"I feel like I should try to stand in and be intimidating for you," Bobby said. "Set the ground rules …"

"Bobby, first of all, I'm _way_ more intimidating than you are…"

"This is about _intent_ ," Bobby defended. "And I can be intimidating!"

Kitty smirked and then reached over to pat Bobby's head. "Sure you can."

"Just wait, Pryde. Just you wait," Bobby said.

Kitty smirked at Bobby and then stuck her tongue out before she phased back into the other room, leaving Bobby shaking his head at her - though in a considerably better mood.

* * *

For most of the people that attended the funeral, the whole thing went more or less in a blur. It was just… a lot. And nobody who came was remotely at a point where they had truly processed their losses.

So Tony was surprised when Scott was the one to find him, since he was sure the guy still had to be a mess of emotions from… all of it. But he had Nate asleep on his shoulder, while Rachel kept close to James, who was quietly listening to some Asgardian story that Thor was telling them. It was plain to see that Thor was completely entranced with Rachel's spunk and James' tenacity, even if he was still being unnaturally quiet for a three-year-old.

"Whenever you're ready," Scott said in an undertone, "the kids' belongings have already been unloaded. We just need to finish the security checks."

"I'll get Natasha," Tony said. "I've got some portable stuff you might appreciate."

"Well, so far, you haven't let me down…"

"How are the second gen eyes working out?"

"Focus is better," Scott said. "Rachel gets a kick out of the long-range scanners. So thanks for making me a video game."

"Welcome to my world, my friend," Tony said under his breath before he headed off to grab Natasha. The two of them had a quiet word that Scott watched go down. It took Natasha no time at all to compose herself, though one glance at James had her nodding quickly and strutting back toward Scott with her most professional expression in place.

"You're sure you want to use one of the old cabins?" Natasha asked. "I could find somewhere more hidden if you'd like. I never did find all of _hers_ , but …."

"I need something familiar," Scott said. "Not for me, for James. Something that was his dad's." He met her gaze steadily. "It's not just about the security, though being that remote is part of it."

Natasha did a less than stellar job of keeping her game face on as she nodded along. "Then let's get it secured for you."

Scott nodded at that. "You understand I'm not letting anyone but you or Stark near this."

"He has access to the tech, and I spent part of my childhood with Logan," Natasha said. "I know what his idea of security was, and it was generally lacking."

"That's the only reason I'm letting anyone see the place. At all." Scott raised both eyebrows and gave her a pointed look. "Jean wiped Department H off the map, but I've always said you can't kill an idea. If someone finds out about James, they _will_ come for him."

"I'll keep my ear to the ground," Natasha promised.

"And so will I," Scott said. "Believe it or not, I've got Magneto on my side on this one. So we're all in agreement."

Natasha nodded her head and turned in time to catch James and Rachel headed their way. Rachel was cheerful but cautious, and little James was apprehensive and openly watching her.

"You have red hair like me," Rachel informed Natasha as she came to stand by her dad, automatically holding onto his pants leg as she'd been doing since she really understood that her mom wasn't coming back.

"Yes," Natasha said with a little smile. "I think it's the best color, don't you?"

Rachel nodded. "It's like my mom," she said softly, twirling her hair around her finger.

"And you'll be just as beautiful, I'm sure," Natasha told her before she turned to wait for them to head to the Quinjet. "Are you ready for a little break from everyone?"

Rachel glanced up at Scott, who had a hand on her back automatically as soon as she was close enough, before she looked back to Natasha. "My daddy needs to be sad by himself, so we're going to go fishing."

"I happen to think that's a very smart thing to do," Natasha said, sparing Scott a little smile.

"Miss Storm says it's okay to be sad, so I think I will be too," Rachel said, hugging Scott a little tighter. "But right now, I'm doing hugs." She paused. "Do you need hugs?"

"I do," Natasha said. "But I won't ask for one unless your dad says it's alright."

Rachel glanced up at Scott, who nodded minutely, and then she rushed over to give Natasha a hug - with James watching the whole interaction carefully from the other side of Scott.

"My mommy and daddy were superheroes, so I'm tryna help like them," Rachel whispered to Natasha as she hugged her. "'Specially 'cause Daddy don't got his optical laser face no more."

Natasha melted into the hug, pouring it right back to Rachel as she gave her the best snuggle she knew how. "Then it's a good thing he never needed that to keep you safe."

Rachel smiled up at Natasha. "He looks silly now 'cause he's got _blue_ eyes instead of red!" she giggled quietly.

Natasha smirked crookedly. "I think they suit him."

"They're like my Nate's!" Rachel said with a grin. "But mine are green like Mommy, see?" She got nose to nose with Natasha and opened her eyes wide. "See?"

"Stunning," Natasha replied, smiling a tiny bit more crookedly at the little girl's enthusiasm. "And that means all three of you have different eyes, don't you?" She peeked over to James, but he didn't step forward like she'd hoped he would.

Rachel let out a sigh. "James is shy," she said.

"He wasn't shy before," Natasha said.

"Uh-huh. And now he's sad 'cause of he lost _his_ mom _and_ also his dad."

"I'm sad he lost them, too."

Rachel nodded. "He's gonna be my brother now, just like Nate," she explained. "So I'll take really good care of him, okay? I'm really good at helpnin' with Nate, and James is a little older, so maybe he can help too once he's not so sad an' scared."

"If you ever need help, you'll let me know, won't you?"

"Uh-huh, 'cause we need to help our friends," Rachel said. "That's what Mommy says. She says you gotta help everyone and be nice and stuff."

Natasha gave her a warm smile and started toward the Quinjet. "Has your Daddy shown you how to fly this yet?"

Rachel giggled. "No, silly! I'm not big enough!"

"Getting close, though," Scott said with a soft, fond smile her way.

"Tony will fly with us - just to keep from drawing attention," Natasha said to Scott. "You can stay with the kids if you'd like. Or you can fly."

"I'll stay with them," Scott said, pointedly looking down at James before he picked him up with his free hand. "Pretty sure James isn't going to come unstuck until we're more solid."

"How's he been sleeping?" Natasha asked quietly.

"Not any better than I am," Scott said.

"That bad, huh?" Natasha said. "Has to be tough for such a little guy."

"His mom always put him to sleep," Scott said. "When his parents were out on a mission, he slept over with us, and Jean was the one who always did it." He smiled tightly. "I'm not a good replacement for any of them."

"That … I'm sorry to hear it," she said, frowning a little deeper. She started for the cockpit, paused, then went to the back of the plane to come back with a few little blankets. "Just for the trip."

"Thanks," Scott said, already unfolding the blanket to tuck around the still-sleeping Nate.

The Quinjet went in fast, low, and totally undetected right to the coordinates Scott had given them. When they landed, both Tony and Natasha were sure to suit up and head out before Scott could even begin to rouse the kids, though as he'd said to Natasha - James hadn't fallen asleep on the flight. Even if he looked exhausted.

The two of them started out doing a general sweep of the area and a much more thorough sweep of the cabin itself, though Natasha was having trouble getting through the little cabin without some tears.

"Remember? It's okay to be sad," Rachel said quietly, catching Natasha off her guard when she grabbed Natasha's hand.

She blinked back what she could and gave Rachel a tight kind of smile as she crouched down. "Logan was very special to me," she told her quietly before she rested her hand on Rachel's hair.

"I loved Logan and K lots," Rachel said, staring up at Natasha intently.

"Then you know how special it is to be in this place that he loved so much," Natasha said before she took a few steps back and quickly composed herself to get back to work - setting up all sorts of miniscule equipment.

Eventually, all three of the adults were convinced they were set up, and Rachel made sure to hug Natasha. Nate even hugged her too - having just woken up and deciding that whoever his sister was hugging, he needed to hug.

James finally made his way over to Natasha, while Tony was telling Scott about the panic buttons in addition to all the other measures, and for a moment he stared up at Natasha. When she crouched down, he came close enough to give her a little kiss on the cheek - like he would do _before_ all this mess came down on them.

Natasha positively melted, and she snatched James up into a tight hug and pressed a kiss to the side of his head. " _Ya tebya lyublyu_."

" _Proshchay,_ " James replied quietly.

Natasha let out an involuntary noise. "I will see you soon. Whenever you need me. I promise."

* * *

When Natasha and Tony got back to the Avengers Tower, it was clear both of them were still reeling. There was no good way to leave behind a broken family, but they both knew the best thing for them was to let them find a new normal together.

They hardly spoke a word to each other before they split. Tony headed for his lab, and Natasha headed toward the residential halls, though not to her own room.

When she walked in, Clint was working on his bowtie with one hand as he pulled some leftovers out of the mini fridge. He smiled up at her when he saw her come in and then tipped his head to tell her to come in. "Figured you'd want to be alone, but if you want company, I can order out. Really only enough for one…"

Natasha shook her head as she closed the door behind her. "I don't want to be alone."

"Not complaining," he promised. "Really. This whole thing was rough. Even those of us that weren't that close… it's rough."

Natasha nodded before she kicked off from the door and crossed over to him in a few steps to snag him by the half-tied bowtie and pull him into a long kiss that didn't end until they were tangled up in each other.

Clint grinned. "Well, that's one way to cheer up."

"Shut up, Barton," she said, pulling him into another long kiss.

…..

From Russian:

 _Ya tebya lyublyu -_ I love you.

 _Proshchay_ \- goodbye (as opposed to _do svidaniya_ which is 'until next time')


	8. Investing In The Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where we take a small break from the *new* Summers family dynamic to check on everyone else

When Clint woke up the next morning, Natasha was already awake, though she hadn't moved from where she was, either. He was always slower to wake up anyway, though usually, she just went on with her day.

He figured she was still reeling from the funeral, so he turned to face her and kissed her shoulder. "Ain't a shrink, but I approve of this mourning mechanism."

"Shut up," she said, shaking her head at him.

"Already did that," Clint pointed out, smirking harder.

"Good." She turned to face him properly. "Then you won't be opposed to doing this until we get a little one."

Clint froze. "I… what?"

"If you mind terribly, we _can_ do things in order. I can have the paperwork drawn up-"

"Nat." He blinked a few more times, though he kept smiling wider the longer he watched her. "I mean, sure."

"Unless you think I need to find someone else entirely."

"Um, no?" Clint stared at her, one eye closed in a wince. "But, c'mon, Nat. You want a family, you should, I mean, I'd want to be more than just DNA?"

"That's what I was hoping for," Natasha replied. "You didn't seem overly sure about yourself, though, so I thought I'd give you an out."

"You… sprung it on me," Clint said, shaking his head with that same disbelieving smile as before.

"I thought you liked surprises," she said with one eyebrow arched up slightly - teasing him.

Clint shook his head and let out a laugh. "I do. I just - are you sure this isn't just because of Logan? I know you weren't okay, and I don't want you to wake up in a year regretting it…"

"All teasing aside, I know exactly what I'm doing, Clint." She shrugged lightly. "Besides, it was James that got me thinking. Not Logan."

"Yeah?" Clint pulled her over to tuck into a snuggle and kissed the side of her head. "Hate to break it to you, Nat, but we'd probably have a blonde or a redhead."

"That's not what I was talking about, and you _know it._ "

"Just had to make sure you knew what you'd be getting," Clint teased. "Might be a little blonde girl, and then we'd just have to try again for a little boy just for you."

"I didn't say we had to have a boy."

"Mmm, that's what I heard," Clint said, grinning at her. "No take-backs. We'll have five girls, and the fifth will have a twin brother."

Natasha tipped her head to the side and narrowed her eyes for a moment. "No … there are no twins in my family. That won't work."

"Triplets, then," Clint said without missing a beat.

"If it's triplets, you can carry them."

"There's my Tasha," Clint said with a laugh. He pulled her into a longer kiss this time. "I'm on board, Nat. For all of it. You know I can't say no to you."

"You've thought about this possibility already," Natasha accused him.

"Um, vaguely?" Clint shook his head. "When I was thirteen and it was the princess and we were gonna have a dozen circus brats?" He shrugged. "Then I grew up and figured no one in this biz would _settle_ for me, so hey, I'm lucky you kiss me. Let alone _this_."

"I'm not settling; Clint, you need to get that straight right now. Settling would be talking to Bucky out of the blue about this."

"So you _did_ have a backup plan."

"That would have been … plan 'D'."

"Steve beat him out. He'll never live it down," Clint teased.

"By a mile," she said, keeping her serious expression but smirking to herself all the same.

"Who was Plan C? Please tell me it wasn't Stark, because I just - I can't."

"Oh, _no_ , of course not," she said, shaking her head. "There's a very sad little X-Man …"

Clint let out a disbelieving sound. "Cyclops? Seriously?"

"He's got three sweet little kids clinging to him - one of which belonged to my Logan," Natasha defended. "And his daughter has red hair and green eyes and calls him out _all_ the time."

"Ready-made family for you, huh?" Clint shook his head. "He's Plan A, isn't he?"

"No, if he was plan A, I would have stayed."

"Well, small miracles," Clint said and then kissed her again. "Let's work on those kids, huh? We'll get to the paperwork after coffee."

"I can backdate it if we're busy," she said with a smirk.

"That's my Nat."

* * *

The echoes of the jet leaving hadn't even settled before Kitty and Bobby made good on their plans to head out to Japan looking for trouble - and a means to finish Logan's business there - which left Storm to decide which path she wanted to take. Though Erik's offer to stay in Genosha was a generous one, Ororo simply couldn't turn her back on Charles' dream. Not when she'd put so much of her life into it, living and breathing it as much as Scott had since joining the team.

But … the team was defunct. They'd lost so many important members, and Scott … seeing what had happened to Scott was too cruel for Ororo to forgive and too horrible to ignore. So when the time finally came to make a decision, it should have shocked no one when she and Mia packed up and went to New York with Hank to the Avengers.

She couldn't sit on the sidelines - not for long, anyhow - and she knew out of all of her options that the Avengers were more than likely the safest option for her little girl who had already lost too much so early in her life.

At first, the Avengers were sure to give her whatever space she needed, though it seemed like every time she crossed paths with Hank, the sweet fuzzy blue doctor would drop everything to give her one of his warmest and most heartfelt hugs.

Which … was more or less exactly what Mia needed. It wasn't the _same_ as snuggling up with her papa, but … Hank was certainly fuzzy and warm and more than happy to entertain her.

It wasn't an instant fix, of course. There were still times that Mia was fussy and angry and nothing could calm her down except her papa - until she was too worn out and fell asleep anyway. But watching Mia with Hank, it was at least a little easier to hope that the youngest of the surviving X-Men would be able to move on to a healthy, happy life.

What's more, little Mia had the entire roster of Avengers practically wrapped around her little blue fingers once she and Storm moved in. While the team had been giving Storm room to mourn on her own terms, Mia was still too little to want to be alone. Sure, she was upset and unhappy without her father, but she _needed_ the contact of other people to play with instead of space.

Which was entertaining to Ororo in itself, because the Avengers had never had such a little one around before - since Wanda had gone to Genosha before having her twins. And they all had different ways of adjusting.

Thor was the easiest. He would just scoop Mia up and play with her to her heart's content. Whatever she babbled to him, he'd run with it, and it took no time before Mia figured out that she could rope him into all kinds of trouble.

Steve, on the other hand, seemed completely unsure of what to do with a little one underfoot - until he started simply picking her up when she would come close and just doing everything one-handed while she talked to him.

Tony wasn't as noticeable - but Ororo saw how quickly the Tower was baby-proofed and how many new toys would magically appear in the playroom he'd designed for her.

Natasha was interesting as well. She liked to be around Mia and would go out of her way to sit with the little girl and help her with the little things like opening her packet of snacks or putting on her coat to go outside. She was just quietly _there_.

Jan and Clint, on the other hand, were almost as terrible as Thor. If Mia wasn't having a dance party with Jan, she was with Clint, who would get on all fours or lie on the floor to be at her level and play pretend for hours on end.

So yes, the Avengers Tower had been an excellent choice. For many reasons.

But eventually, it was Natasha who approached Ororo with an offer of a 'soft' mission. "I know you've been through it, and you can of course say no," Natasha said. "It's honestly a favor to Clint - some old mobsters in the neighborhood where he crashed for a while are causing trouble."

"As long as it's actually something simple, I suppose I could stand to get a bit of fresh air," Ororo replied. "The roof is fine, but …"

Natasha nodded. "I always feel better when I've put a few men through walls, but that might just be me," she said with a soft smirk.

"No, no, the ones that ask for it … that does make a girl feel like she can walk more upright."

Natasha smiled and nodded. "Well, these are your regular low-lifes. Running extortions and harassing people. Nothing world-ending, and I can handle them myself if you decide when we get there you're not ready for a fight." She smirked. "I've been instructed to low-ball you."

"If we get there and I don't feel like fighting, then the fight will be over soon enough," Ororo said with a little smirk.

"Then we'll get along just fine," Natasha said, gesturing with one hand for Ororo to lead the way.

It wasn't a long drive out, really. All they had to do was get to the other side of the city, away from the tower and the well-to-do houses and toward the inner city, where the artwork jumped out from every wall and there was a pickup basketball game not far from where they parked.

"Clint had a place near here when we were working together when we first met," Natasha explained as they walked together. "He keeps it up as an escape. Mostly, I use it to crash between missions if I don't feel like dealing with people."

"Perhaps I should consider a place like that," Ororo said, almost to herself.

"You're welcome to use ours," Natasha said. "Like I said: it only really sees use when I'm doing a job outside of the Avengers. And Clint hasn't used it in ages."

"We'll have to see when we get there," Ororo said, smiling almost wistfully. "Jean and I had a place in the city just the two of us years ago …"

"To get away from the boys. Yes, I know the feeling."

"They can't help themselves," Ororo laughed.

"Oh, I barely tolerate that excuse from _them_ ," Natasha said. "Make them do better - that's what I say." She was smiling as they rounded the corner - and very nearly ran into a little girl, about three, with wide eyes and mismatched clothes that she'd clearly put on herself. The little one had very nearly barreled into them, and when Ororo reached out to catch her, she yanked her arm back quickly.

"No!" the girl shouted. "No touching!"

"Calm yourself, little one," Ororo said, looking concerned as she tried to catch her gaze. "Who has you so scared?"

"I don't _wike_ 'em," the little girl insisted. "I don't _wike_ this new house!"

"Who?" Ororo asked, finally crouching down to her level.

"Funny men with funny voices and funny clothes," the little girl said. "I don't _wike_ 'em."

Ororo reached out to rest her hand on the little girl's shoulder just as a small group of ill-dressed men rounded the corner.

"Oh, you find our girl!" one of them said Ororo's way.

Ororo raised one eyebrow as she stood up and pushed the little girl behind her. "Who are you and what do you want?"

The men, all of them in tracksuits, glanced at each other before the guy who spoke up shrugged easily. "We run this block, yes?"

"No," Ororo said. "I don't think so."

"You must be new," the guy said. "This block? Is our block. We protect it, you pay, is all good."

"Natasha," Ororo said, looking for just a moment down to the cowering little girl. "I think I can handle this just fine."

"I won't stand in the way of a goddess," Natasha said, making it a point to give Ororo space to work. "I'll be here."

Ororo turned back toward the men and tipped her chin up. "What do you want with the little girl?"

"She part of the family now," the man in charge explained. "We take her in, yes? After whole project goes up in flames."

"Do you want to go back to them, little one?" Ororo said, smiling sweetly at the little girl.

The little girl shook her head and held onto Ororo's shirt. "Nuh-uh."

"Would you rather go with us?" she asked.

"I guess," the little girl said quietly.

"Then please," Ororo said, "hold on to Natasha's hand for a moment." As soon as the little one stepped back from her even the tiniest bit, Ororo whirled around to face the still advancing men and took a step forward … before she started to float off the ground - the winds around her lifting her up as her eyes clouded over. "Go back to whatever rock you crawled out from under. I won't ask again."

"Is kidnapping, lady," one of the others broke in. "We get little girl."

"I doubt you're her legal guardian," Ororo said as the clouds started to crackle and grow darker over head. The moment one of them took a step toward them, a loud crack split the air, and a bolt of lighting hit just in front of the group of criminals.

To their credit, the guys seemed to realize how outclassed they were and scattered quickly, and Natasha let out a laugh as she picked up the little girl so she could be at their level. "You were right. It was a fast fight."

"It always is with men like that," Ororo replied as she turned and floated back down to the two of them. "Are you alright, little one?"

The little girl nodded, though she looked nervous as she held onto Natasha. "I don't wanna go to the smelly house," she said.

"You don't have to," Ororo promised. "We have a very nice-smelling place you can go to, if you'd like."

The little girl looked between the two of them. "That's what the funny guys said when they got me from my dance class."

Natasha tipped her head at that. "Your dance class?"

"Uh-huh." The little girl twirled her hair with her finger. "I'm real good. But then the funny guys said my mommy and daddy got burned up!" She let her lower lip quiver. "I don't wanna get burned up!"

"I don't think you need to worry about that anymore, sweet one," Ororo said with a decidedly down tone.

"Okay, but you made lightning," the little girl said. "Poof!"

Ororo nodded and then held her hand out to make a miniature raincloud right at the little girl's eye level - and let it start sprinkling down showers. "That's not all that I can do."

"Oh _wow_ ," the little girl said, leaning nearly out of Natasha's arms to touch the cloud. "Wow, wow, wow!"

"My name is Ororo," Storm said. "But my favorite people have always called me 'Ro."

"My name's Katie," the little girl said. "I like your name!" She turned to Natasha expectantly, which got a little laugh.

"Natasha," she said.

"I like that too," Katie said.

Natasha smiled and then turned toward Ororo. "Well, I don't know about you, but I did just tell Clint I wanted a family, so if you're not claiming her…"

Ororo smiled lightly at that. "I think that decision should be up to Katie."

"We'll see," Natasha said, though her tone was clearly teasing. "The way Clint is with Mia? I'll still get what I want."

"I won't stand in your way," Ororo said with a little smile.

Natasha smiled wider as the two of them headed back to her car - and in short order, Katie had a milkshake and clothes that suited her before they got back to the tower.

"Oh, okay. Um. Hello," Tony said when the two of them walked into the main area, with Katie holding each woman's hands and skipping between them. "I thought you were going to deal with those weird Russians…?"

"Yes, we were," Natasha said. "And the weird Russians decided to snatch up a little girl. So, here we are."

"Uh-huh," Tony said, before he made his way over and frowned down at Katie. "What's your name, princess?"

"I'm Katie!" she sang out happily.

"Katie _what_?" he asked before he offered her his hand. "I'm Tony Stark."

Katie grinned up at him and drew herself up, putting on a prissy sort of attitude. " _Katherine Elizabeth Bishop_ ," she sang.

"That ... is quite the name for such a little girl," Tony said.

"It's pretty!" Katie insisted.

"It is," Tony agreed, nodding his head. "And I think I know _exactly_ who you are. Did you know you were famous?"

"I _am_?" Katie gasped and danced in place. "Like a _superhero_?"

"Not yet, but in this crowd? Give it time," Tony said. "Who's your favorite superhero?"

Katie giggled. "All of 'em!" she declared happily. "But 'specially I like Spidey! He's funny, and I saw him after dance once!"

Tony made a face at that and drew himself back up to his full height. "Gonna have to work on that."

"I like 'Ro too," Katie said. "She gots a whole _storm_ in her hand! Didja know that?"

"You know that's her hero name, too?" Tony said. "She goes by Storm."

"I like that!" Katie said. "I like Tasha too. She's a dancer like me! She said!"

Tony nodded at that and then picked Katie up so he could walk her around the place. "That's not all she is. You tell her who you are yet, Nat?"

Natasha smirked as she caught up to them. "I _may_ have been waiting to tell her I was an Avenger until she could meet Hawkeye too."

Katie gasped delightedly. "Oooh! Yes please!"

"Got news for you kiddo," Tony said. "You're surrounded by Avengers."

Katie giggled delightedly and squirmed to be let down so she could run in a small circle and generally get overly excited about everything - which gave Natasha a chance to pull Tony aside. "You know who she is?" she asked. "I was going to look her up when I had a moment alone…"

"You don't have to," Tony said. "Her dad was a big, dirty publisher. Big money, big trouble, too."

"She said her family burned up," Natasha said. "Considering the Phoenix debacle, I had to wonder…"

"You can look into it. Name's Derek Bishop. Guy was a piece of work and about as dirty as they come."

"I will," Natasha said, then smiled over at Katie. "In the meantime…"

"If you want to keep her safe, I'll get my legal team on it to make sure no one pulls anything shady."

"Please and thank you," Natasha said. "I think I'll have to tease Clint about this one. Dark-haired and sassy…."

Tony nodded at that and didn't make it more than another couple of steps before he'd pulled out his phone to get the ball rolling. "We'll fill in names later," he promised. "I just want to make sure no one can use her for leverage or anything like that."

"Absolutely. And what safer place to be than the tower?" Natasha said. "I have full confidence."

"Try telling that to the first X-Man - the one in hiding."

Natasha let out a breath. "That's different, Tony. You know it is."

"I know it, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"That family has every reason to be paranoid," Natasha said. She tipped her head toward Katie. "This is just dirty money, not … that."

Tony had the phone to his ear as he followed Natasha's focus. "Don't make me take her for a flight."

"Hey. I've actually put in the paperwork to marry mine and do this properly. You can wait your turn."

"Yeah, not happening," Tony said, ducking out of the way of the hit he knew was coming. "She'll have a little Iron Teddy bear before you can stop me."

"Ah, but _I_ can teach her ballet!" Natasha sang out. "You lose, Stark!"

"Armor with a tutu," Tony teased.

"Just accept defeat gracefully!"

"Nope! Never gonna happen!" Tony called out as he headed off to finish his call.


	9. Burdened Goddess

Natasha laughed to herself, still entertained with Tony's ongoing antics as she made her way to Ororo - with Katie still running in circles around the other Avengers. When she found Ororo leaning in the window with grey clouds gathering in the skies behind her, Natasha put her hand on Storm's arm. "I wouldn't mind doing more runs with you," she said. "I know how it can be to try to start a new life. You're taking it much better than I did."

"That part is easy," Ororo said. "Helping those that can't defend themselves … it's the rest of it that brings me more trouble, though … Mia keeps me focused."

"She's amazing - and the sweetest, most beautiful little girl," Natasha agreed.

"She's so much like her father," Ororo replied.

"I didn't know him well, except that he had excellent taste in best friends," Natasha said.

Ororo let out a breath of a laugh. "The two of them were something else," she said. "And my closest friends in Westchester. The three of us joined the team together, you know."

"I knew Logan since I was a child," Natasha said. "You aren't alone missing them. I hope you know it."

"Oh, I don't believe that Logan was lacking for friendship anywhere he went," Ororo said with a smirk. "But it is nice to know I'm in good company. He spoke highly of you - when he spoke."

"And when he was with the Avengers, he only had the best to say about the X-Men," Natasha said. "He was so proud when you and Kurt were married, even if he didn't say anything to us."

"He was," Ororo agreed. "And when Logan _spoke_ at our wedding, he had Kurt in tears."

Natasha's smile turned sadder. "I would have liked to hear him do something like that for my wedding. But of course, it took him dying to put me on that path in the first place, so I'm sure he would argue he's already done his part."

"These last few years … he seemed at peace."

"He always wanted a family, Ororo. Everything else was noise."

"Which was why he snapped when he lost them," she said, her whole body showing her sorrow as she wilted.

Natasha pressed her lips together and put her hand on Ororo's shoulder. "And you?" she asked gently. "I have seen Cyclops holding back the worst. You must be just as affected."

"I am trying to keep Mia in mind. I know in my heart that if Logan had known James was alive, he wouldn't have done what he did. He would have been miserable and broken, and he would have mourned K for _years_ ," Ororo said. "Likely for the rest of his life. But for as _heartbroken_ as their little boy is, I'm determined not to leave Mia to the same desperation."

Natasha nodded softly. "I know Logan was her godfather," she said. "So let me make the same promise to you I did to Cyclops: anything I can do to honor his children, I will do it."

"And I appreciate that," Ororo said, covering Natasha's hand with her own.

When there was a soft silence between them, a squeal from Katie, who was with Tony, broke that silence, and Natasha shook her head. "I need to spoil a dancer before Tony steals her from me. Mia is with Hank, I'm sure. Thank you for coming with me."

"Good luck," Ororo said as she looked past Natasha to where Tony had clued Katie in on the Iron Man issue. "I think you have an uphill battle on your hands with that one."

"I play to win, my friend. And she hasn't seen my pointe shoes," Natasha said before she slipped off on a mission.

Ororo watched her go with a smile before she started toward where she _knew_ Hank would be - reading a story to a very sleepy Mia and making a point not only to use voices and side commentary but also to bust into his thesaurus and make many of the descriptions far more complicated than the text indicated. She watched them for a long moment before she made her way over and perched on the arm of his chair to look over his shoulder as he continued the story. "Don't let me interrupt."

Hank smiled up at her for a moment before he read through the last few pages, smiling more when he saw Mia lose her battle with sleep on the last page and simply snuggle in, her mouth open just enough to show off the few teeth she had - especially the pointy ones.

"I take it your first venture into the dangers of Avengering went well?" Hank teased.

"I'm afraid I could probably venture into those waters in my sleep and come off no worse for wear," Ororo teased right back.

"Ah, we should graduate you to more horrendous foes. Perhaps the Serpent Society. Or a common bank robber."

Ororo couldn't help but laugh at that. "It was almost a petty crime," she said. "If it weren't for the little girl that needed to be swept out of danger."

Hank raised an eyebrow at that. "Not so petty then." He readjusted the way he was holding Mia as he said it, so that she was more comfortable.

"Not entirely," Ororo admitted. "Though I was reminded of Logan's insistence that the Avengers were spending much of their time rescuing kittens up trees." She smiled his way. "Her name is Katie."

"Sometimes, we dabble in kittens, yes," Hank said. "Or Katherine's, as the case may be. What brought you to such a little kitty?"

"She ran into us," Ororo replied. "Trying to escape some Russian mobsters."

"What on earth was she doing with them?"

"I believe Tony said it was a big business issue of sorts," Ororo said. "At any rate, he and Natasha are arguing over custody."

"Let me let you in on a secret, my dear," Hank said, smiling and leaning closer. "Always bet on the Black Widow."

"Oh, I don't doubt it," she laughed before she smiled once more and then leaned over to kiss his cheek. "You've been wonderful with her."

"She is so easy to love," Hank said, shaking his head. "She has her father's heart and your expressions."

"She's more him than me," Ororo said.

"Perhaps you need to look a little closer," Hank said. "I see a strong-willed goddess in her eyes."

"I think, my dear friend, we only see what it is we're searching for."

"Then I hope you never cease to see our Nightcrawler when you look at her," Hank said gently.

Ororo's smile slipped a bit at that. "Henry, I have a more serious question to ask, if you don't mind …"

Hank sat up straighter to give her his full attention. "Of course. I know it has been said often, but the phrase 'anything you need' is still my creed for my dear friends."

She let out a sigh and rested her hand on his arm. "I don't want to think of all the losses we've had any more than I need to, but Mia is now without both her father and her godfather. I was hoping that you'd take up Logan's role and watch out for her."

For a moment, it was clear that Hank was simply stunned, his lips slightly parted and his eyes wide. But when he cleared his throat, his voice still had a slight wobble to it. "Yes," he said softly. "Yes of course."

"Thank you, Henry," Ororo said. "That is enough to ease my mind at least a bit."

Hank reached over and pulled her sharply to him in a one-armed hug, with Mia between them. "I'm honored. Truly. I only wish it wasn't necessary to make that change."

"You and I both."

"You know, of course, that this gives me official license to spoil her rotten with every confection in my labs," Hank said after a moment.

"And when have you ever needed an excuse to do that?" Ororo replied with a sparkle to her gaze.

"It is novel to have the excuse," Hank laughed. "I may become even _worse_ than before!"

"As long as it brings you both happiness, then I am in favor."

Hank smiled and gave her one more squeeze. "I wish happiness for you too, you know. I know it is hard to find right now, but as Kurt would say, I have faith it can be found again."

"Now you sound like Kurt," she said.

"Coming from you, that is a high compliment indeed."

* * *

It was well past midnight when Rachel came in to Scott's room and very quietly woke her dad up. "Daddy, James isn't feeling very good," she said. "And he's real hot."

When he got to where the boys were sleeping, Rachel really wasn't wrong at all. James was burning up, his blanket wrapped around himself tightly, and he was shivering in spite of the fever. Worse still, he really wasn't breathing very well or even answering questions for Scott either.

If it had just been the fever or a stuffy nose on its own, Scott would have tried to to help him through it on his own, but the fact that he was _that_ feverish _and_ struggling to breathe right?

Scott swore under his breath - and then had to tell Nate to _not_ repeat that word, please - before he simply scooped James up and turned to Rachel. "Help Nate get his shoes on. We're going to take James to see Hank."

Rachel nodded quickly, her eyes wide. She was obviously scared, considering how much loss she had already seen, but to her credit, she managed to get Nate to put on his shoes (on the wrong feet) and helped to get him to the jet while Scott hurriedly grabbed a few things and then set the perimeter alarm before he jumped into the pilot's seat.

"James is not okay," Nate said, shaking his head slowly.

"Yeah, I know," Scott said, trying to sound calmer than he felt. "What about you, bud?"

"I have a funny tummy feeling…"

"Me too," Rachel said quietly.

"Then everyone is going to go see Hank, okay? He can fix you up." Scott pushed the engines a little harder as he said it. "Everything is okay."

By the time they got to Hank, James was shivering hard enough to chatter his teeth in spite of the fact that he was absolutely cooking. And it had Scott that much more worried as he rushed past Steve and straight to Hank.

"Henry, James is sick," Scott called out as soon as he got in.

"I see that," Hank said as he made his way over. "How hot has he been?"

"When I checked at the cabin, it was 103," Scott said in a breath. "The other kids don't have it - yet - I don't know what - it just came out of nowhere-"

"Then let's try to get him cooled down," Hank said, directing Scott toward the showers. "Keep the water on the cooler side of warm."

Scott nodded and rushed off with James, while Steve stepped inside the lab and Rachel asked timidly, "Is James gonna die?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Hank said, though he was gathering up a few things to make it easier to get James settled in once his temperature broke. He touched the very tip of her nose with one finger. "And I have plenty to say about it."

"I'm scared," Nate said from behind Rachel, holding onto his sister's hand with his blanket clenched tightly in his other hand.

Hank paused and let out a little breath. "And how are the two of you feeling tonight?"

"My tummy's twisty," Nate said.

Rachel nodded. "Me too."

Hank let out a little hum. "Captain Rogers, if you'd be so kind to take my two tiny patients and help them settle in until I get back - I'd like to check them both over. Scott will likely be a little while with young James."

Steve still looked blindsided, but when he saw the two obviously worried kids, he did his best to give them an encouraging smile. "Can you tell me about your jet ride?" Steve asked as he picked up Nate in one arm and Rachel in the other.

The two Summers kids glanced at each other and then nodded, quietly explaining to Steve all about how Rachel had gone to get their dad and how James had been shaking and it was _really scary_...

It took nearly half an hour, but finally, between the medications that Hank gave James and the cool water shower, the fever broke - and when it did, the little guy was entirely exhausted. Enough so that when they carried him back to the lab for a break - with an oxygen mask in place, since he sounded rough - he was passed out to the world, and Scott looked as if coffee wasn't going to be a requirement to stay conscious due to the high level of anxiety he was coping with.

"I'll get him started on a few medications," Hank said. "But the other little ones are fine. They could use your attention, and I'm sure I can round up enough volunteers to keep watch over James."

Scott nodded, though he still looked frazzled. "You'll let me know if anything changes…"

"Of course," Hank promised.

Scott nodded and let out a tired breath before he squeezed Hank's shoulder and crossed the room to where his kids had Steve pinned between them. "You guys okay?"

Nate nodded and held his arms out to be picked up. "I'm tired."

"Yeah, I know. Sorry you had to wake up," Scott said as he tucked Nate under his chin. "How about you, Rach?"

Rachel nodded. "Mister Steve said it's okay to be scared, and it helped me and Nate to not have scared tummies."

Scott looked toward Steve and smiled slightly at that. "Smart."

"I can leave you three alone," Steve said as he got to his feet. "I'll just go see if Hank needs some coffee."

"Very likely," Scott said. "And thanks."

"Anytime," Steve replied, already doing his best to give them a bit of privacy while digging to see what the story was with the little guy in the lab.

"Bye, Mister Steve!" Rachel called out, halfway snuggled into her dad already as Nate started to drift off with his dad gently rocking him.

The three of them weren't alone for long, though; Janet came around to play welcoming committee. "I've got a room set up for you three to stretch out and rest," she said quietly, offering to help get the two little ones there. "I may have snuck down to the lab and gotten a peek at little James … Hank says he'll be there for at least a day or two. He's got a nasty little case of pneumonia that popped up fast … on top of what Hank says _looks_ like asthma." She shook her head lightly. "For a little guy that came from two people with healing, he really seems to have hit all the low points, poor sweetheart."

Scott raised an eyebrow but nodded all the same. "His parents never got sick with their powers. Maybe he'll grow out of it."

For a moment, Jan paused and it was clear she was weighing out her words. "How are you doing, by the way? I mean … it's a lot. Three little angels … all by yourself... "

"I'm fine," Scott said in a tone Jan knew well.

"Oh. Of course you are. I know that," Jan said, waving one hand and shaking her head. "I mean, look at how much they clearly _adore_ you - you're doing _great!_ With them. But I meant … you know. You need to breathe a little too. If it helps …" She pulled her phone out and held it out for Scott to see that the picture she'd taken was of Steve keeping close track of James and obviously making sure that he was at the right angle to get air better. "Big. Squish. Star Spangled Squish."

Scott let out a minute breath. "Good," he said. "Hank's the only doctor I trust right now, so it's good for him to have support when we come out here."

"I don't blame you on that," Jan said. "Hank's great with the kids. You should see him being _ridiculous_ when he reads to Mia."

"I've seen it," Scott said simply. "He and Kurt tried to outdo each other."

"The Ravenously Ridiculous Caterpillar?" Jan raised an eyebrow. "I swear that man ate a thesaurus."

"And that's when he's sober," Scott said dryly.

"Oh, but now I want to see how bad it is when he's _not_ ," Jan giggled as she skipped over to get a blanket. "I can help you get them settled in tonight - you have to be tired."

"I'm really fine," Scott insisted.

"Okay … but how about be fine over there snuggled up where you're all more comfy?" Jan suggested. "Look - Rachel's a little restless. That'd be easier out of the chair, right? I think. Please tell me if I'm wrong, and I'll just be quiet and tuck you all in."

Scott shook his head, smirking despite himself. "Yeah, alright," he said, smirking a little more when Jan's response was instantaneous and _gleeful_ as she rushed to help with the kids. And he did have to admit that he was tired - not that he'd say as much in front of the kids.

"You're spoiling Mia properly, right?" he asked once the kids were squared away.

"Proper is such a subjective word, Mr. Summers …" Jan said with a little shrug. "But … if you mean she is played with by every single person on the team and in the tower that's _close_ to the team …. Then yes. Yes. She's being properly spoiled."

"Good. She's probably the most social of all the kids. She needs the attention or she starts pouting."

"Well we'll probably _never see that_ the way things are going," Jan said with a little grin. "Even with the new girl - she's loving every minute that she's awake." She tipped her head. "It was rough sometimes to start … but … she's tough, you know?"

"Has to be with the parents she had," Scott said softly. "I think Nate's doing alright now too, and the fresh air _was_ great for James until he came down with this _thing_. But Rachel … was old enough to understand it. It's going to take longer."

"If there's anything she might like - just … tip me off and I'll make some magic happen," Jan promised. "But … I know you want to peek in on James. It was clear you're still stressed about him."

"I can't screw up with that one," Scott told her simply.

"I don't think you're capable of that with him," Jan said. "He's little, and quiet, but I think he's a quick enough little guy. He'll be great with time." She was nodding to herself. "But … if you're worried? I can totally find you a children's therapist. Natasha would run them through her whole system to make sure they'd be on the up and up …."

"Maybe," Scott conceded. He paused. "It's just - Rachel used to tell her mom everything. Project it telepathically. So… we'll see."

"So she probably needs to learn new ways to communicate," Jan said, nodding. "I'll start looking. And I'll make sure they're all screened - and if you're nervous, I'm sure you could do it as a full family session, too. You know. To start with."

"That would be best. James gets nervous if he thinks he's being left behind. He still thinks he's going to be handed off to someone else," Scott said, his gaze on the sleeping kids and the worry evident in his tone. "Just last week, he finally stopped looking for his parents to come back. He'd _been_ watching out the windows every time he heard something. Took me a while to figure out what he was doing… he's been _more_ quiet since then, somehow."

"He'll grow out of that," Jan said with a sad little smile as she rested her hand on his arm. "Especially with you watching out for him. He won't be able to ignore how much he's loved."

"We might be fighting genetics with that," Scott said dryly as he settled in with Rachel and Nate. He leaned his head toward Rachel as Nate slept on his chest. He absently rested his hand on the side of her head as he pulled her closer and kissed the top of her hair, and before he knew it, Scott had passed out with both of them curled up half on him. He'd been exhausted himself, and though he didn't mean to do it, he was out almost as fast as the kids.

* * *

Scott woke up with a blanket over his lap and a fuzzy blue face inches from his nose. Mia's fluffy white hair stuck up from all angles as her tail swayed behind her. "Hi." Before Scott could react, Mia leaned forward and kissed the end of his nose before she shimmied down and toddled off to find Rachel and Nate.

"Rachel has already been in to check on James," Ororo said from the far end of the couch. "He's very tired still, the poor little thing."

"How's he feeling other than tired?" Scott asked, sitting up and frowning around himself as he ran his hand though his hair. "Where's Rachel - and Nate?"

"James is a little out of it, to be perfectly honest," Ororo said. "And Rachel and Nate are with _Katie_."

"Who's that?" Scott asked with a frown. "I thought I knew the roster-"

"Katie is a force of nature disguised as a little girl that Natasha and I rescued not too long ago," she said with a sly smile. "There was a very short argument on who would adopt her between our Widow and Stark."

"I didn't think either of them were…" Scott shook his head. "Alright then."

"She's a lovely young lady, and they are perfectly safe and happy - for the moment, anyhow."

"Glad to hear it," Scott said, shaking his head as he ran a hand through his hair. He really hadn't meant to fall asleep. "And Mia? She's alright?"

"Obviously," Ororo replied. "She waited for you to wake up before she went back to her big sister, Katie."

"Oh, so you won the match between Widow and Stark?" Scott asked with the tiniest of smirks.

Ororo smiled wider at that. "No, but the girls seem convinced they should be sisters."

"And who are you to argue with them?" Scott said, shaking his head. "How old is Katie, then?"

"She's just a month younger than James," Ororo replied.

"Then she'll fit in well," Scott said. He paused. "And you?"

"I'm going out on missions again," Ororo said.

"Right." Scott let the word hang in the air between them without really meeting her gaze. "That's good."

"I know you can't leave for a few days at least, if nothing else because of James' health, but I can't help but think that this might be easier on all of you if you were to _stay_."

"I'm not doing that again, Ororo," Scott said in a tone that she'd heard before when he'd made up his mind. "I'm not mixing family and work. I won't let them live where a team is headquartered."

Ororo reached over to rest her hand on his arm. "I was only making sure you knew the door was open. You know I won't try to force it."

Scott let out a breath and then at least tried to look less like he was holding his breath. "I know," he said. "But you know I need to keep them safe."

"I know," Ororo said gently. "As do I."

"You and Mia - if you change your mind, you're welcome…"

"I think we'll see how this works, first," Ororo said. "The Avengers are trying _very_ hard. I won't ignore their efforts."

For a second, Scott looked like he was biting back a comment before he nodded. "And you've never been one to sit still, either."

"Neither are you, but I can imagine with three little ones, that won't be an issue."

"No, it's not," Scott said with the hint of a smirk. "Rachel is naming the deer."

"So they still come up to the cabin?" Ororo asked, smiling in spite of herself when she was fighting the aching sensation of loss.

Scott nodded. "You should see James with them, 'Ro. He-" He paused. "It's … he's a good kid."

"Yes, he is," Ororo agreed before she slid over and simply wrapped him up in a hug.

If it had been anyone else, Scott would have tightly returned it, but with Ororo, he let out a breath and put his head on her shoulder as he hugged her for a good long time. "He's just like them," he said in a breath of a whisper as she wrapped him up warmly, fighting the urge to melt and weep with him.

"I would expect nothing less," Ororo replied just as softly, doubling down on the hug.

"And then there's Mia and Rachel…" Scott shook his head. "How are you - I know it's-"

"It's not easy," Ororo admitted. "But she has Kurt's pure _joy_ in life."

"That helps," Scott agreed, leaning back slightly. Ororo would never tell him, but losing the visor made him _so_ easy to read. He was more expressive than he realized because he was used to hiding his eyes, and that just made the grief easy to see. "Nate's got a lot of me in him. He's looking out for James like it's his mission in life, even if James is older."

Ororo couldn't help but let out a hollow chuckle. "He's practically your carbon copy."

"Jean was happy about that," Scott said, looking beyond her at the wall that was easier to talk to. "Rachel looks so much like her…"

"That will only intensify as she grows up," Ororo said.

"Mia will be the same way," Scott said. "If she ends up teleporting…"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," she replied. "And I hope … that before then I have a new place for her to learn all that comes with it."

Scott frowned and turned sharply to face her. "What?"

"I plan to eventually reopen the school," Ororo said, drawing herself up slightly. "I've thought about it a lot, and I know that it's needed now more than ever."

"Ororo, you saw what happened. You can't-"

"I did," she agreed. "And for that much, you're right. Mixing the team with family was disastrous. But that doesn't mean we can turn our back on all that we were _taught_."

Scott held his breath. "It's a risk," he said. "I don't know if I can help … I need to…"

"I wouldn't ask you," Ororo said. "I know how much you lost. But when this finally happens, when I have the school running again, I will step away from any kind of hero work. I know, Scott. The X-Men are over. I won't even consider bringing that back."

"I just don't want it to happen again," Scott said, putting a hand on her arm. "Mia can't lose you."

"No, but I can't get the other children out of my mind either," Ororo said. "There are still so many that have lost as much as we have - or as much as our little ones have. Charles' school needs to be there to catch them. Even if they only learn to _control_ their abilities. Not use them."

Scott sighed. "Yeah. I know," he said in that breath.

"I still believe that Charles had the right idea," Ororo said. "But it was simply too early."

"He-" Scott swallowed. "-was ahead of his time. Yeah."

Ororo smiled tightly. "You should probably check in on your _three_."

"Right." Scott got to his feet and then pulled Ororo to hers as well for a tight hug. "Whatever you need, you know I'll be there for you."

"And the offer stands true for you, as well," Ororo said.

Scott nodded to himself, thinking deeply about what Ororo had said, though he was still processing it as he got to the med bay. James was still tired and out of it, but apparently, the Avengers were taking turns, and Jan was curled around the little guy and clearly enjoying herself as he slept.

"How's he doing?" Scott asked.

"I'm probably the wrong person to ask," Jan said. "But he's exhausted. Obviously."

"Yeah, that doesn't surprise me," Scott said, sitting down next to the two of them and not really asking before he scooped James up - and the little guy curled right into him like that was where he fit.

"Kinda scary to see him like this though," Jan said, wrapping her arms around herself and shrugging her shoulders high.

"I didn't know he had asthma," Scott admitted.

"Well to be fair," Jan said. "It sounded like Hank didn't know either. So. Maybe it's new?"

"Maybe," Scott said. "I don't really know enough about the family medical history to know if it's…"

"Again, I doubt _they_ knew either, so … right." Jan watched them for a moment before she reached over to gently brush the hair out of James' face.

"Yeah, I think everyone is making that face right now," Scott said dryly.

"Do you want me to leave?" Jan asked, though she managed to not make it sound like a threat or an accusation.

"I'm not kicking you out," Scott said, shaking his head.

"I know. But … I don't want … you know what? I'll just … how about I bring a little coffee over for you?"

"That would be great, thanks," Scott said. "I wanted to check on James and find Nate and Rachel - I know they were freaked out too."

"Do you want me to tell them where you are?"

"Please," Scott said.

"You got it," Jan said, doing her best to put on her usually cheery demeanor, but still falling short as she turned on her heel and headed off, leaving Scott alone with James for a minute.

While she was gone, Scott took a moment to check James over, to listen to his breathing and to make sure that he was, well, as healthy as possible for the moment. It was such a relief to have him on the mend that he wasn't aware the door had opened again after several long minutes until Nate and Rachel rushed over.

Scott grinned and carefully set James down so he could catch both of his kids in a hug. "Are you running the Avengers into the ground?" he asked at just over a whisper, his tone forcibly brighter than it had been before.

"Dr. Blue says we're a force 'a' nature!" Rachel told him proudly.

"So that's a yes," Scott said.

"I helped," Nate told him, climbing up his side until Scott picked him up instead of just hugging him. "I made PB&J!"

"Who helped you?" Scott asked.

"Umm, Arrow Guy."

Scott smirked at that. "You made sure he cut it in triangles for you, right?"

"Uh-huh." Nate snuggled into Scott's shoulder.

Scott had one hand on Nate's back and the other on Rachel's shoulder as he looked up at Jan, who was watching the whole thing from the doorway. "Thanks."

"No problem," Jan said as she zipped over to set his coffee down on the table next to them. "When you're ready to take a break from things here, let me know. I don't mind snuggling up with the little guy."

"You can come play with Katie and Mia too," Rachel told Scott.

"We got cars," Nate agreed, then reached into his pocket to show Scott the toy car he'd stolen from the toy bucket upstairs. "Blue, like me and Daddy!"

"That's right," Scott said, nodding quietly before he glanced up at Jan again, one-handedly grabbing the coffee. "Are you sure you don't mind staying with him? You'll let me know if anything changes?"

"I don't mind, really," Jan said. "And if anything changes at all - if he so much as flutters a lash, I'll let you know."

"Thanks." Scott smiled wryly. "I only have two hands."

"And they're full of snuggles," Jan said, smiling.

"Daddy needs hugs," Rachel informed Jan. "Hugs are good for if you're sad."

"He sure does, and it looks like you give the best ones," Jan said.

Rachel nodded and rushed over to Jan to hug her too. "I like giving hugs because I'm sad too, and Daddy says when you hug, it's like you're getting wrapped up warm."

"He's right," Jan said. "But even when I'm happy, I like hugs."

"So I can hug you lots?" Rachel asked.

Jan tossed her hands up. "Any old time you want."

"Didja hear that, Dad?"

"Looks like you found a willing victim," Scott said without missing a beat - or looking up from where Nate was almost nose to nose with him telling him about his friend Mia.

"Victim?" Jan blew her bangs out of her face. "No such thing as a hug victim."

"Uh-huh," Rachel insisted. "There is if you do a hug tackle and knock 'em over!"

Jan put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Um. No. That is a shortcut to a snuggle, that's all!"

"Okay, but you're wrong," Rachel said, one eyebrow raised.

"We'll just have to see about that, little Miss Rachel."

"I'm almost seven; I'm not _little_."

"Well, _I'm_ still little, and I'm all grown up," Jan said.

"You're weird," Rachel said, wrinkling her nose at Jan.

"I'm just used to being smaller than everyone around me," Jan said, tipping her nose up as she tried to get a smile out of Rachel, but when that didn't cut it, she blew her bangs back again and then shrunk down.

Rachel blinked once and then burst out into delighted laughter, and Nate came tumbling over to see what was going on. "Daddy, Daddy, look! Did you see? Did you see?"

"Neat party trick," Scott said with a smirk.

"It's worth the laughs sometimes," Jan said, still tiny.

"Yeah, I know. You should have seen the carving I could do with a fine beam to show off for the kids too."

"Oooh, I'll bet that was amazing," Jan said. "But … I think I can take my party trick out of here if you're soaking in the snuggles." A moment later, she'd grown back to full size and turned back to Rachel. "We can play hide and seek with Katie if you think you can spot me."

"Race you there!" Rachel said - already running toward the door and giggling madly.

"Is that okay?" Jan said at the door, looking worried. "We'll just be in the play room."

"That's fine. I'm just going to ask Hank about what I need to take care of James long-term and I'll probably join you," Scott said as he picked James up again.

"Okay, well. They might need your help anyhow. But Katie is kind of _amazing_ at this game," Jan said.

"I'm sure you'll make them work for it," Scott pointed out. "And cheat."

"Oh, absolutely," Jan said. "I'm wildly outnumbered! I have to!"

"Yeah, that's the reason," he said with a dry smirk.

"Alright, mister, we'll see who cheats first," Jan said, leveling one finger at him. "Just wait!" with that, she headed off at a jog to catch up to the girls who were already squealing with laughter from down the hall.


	10. Gifted Youngsters

_(Four years later)_

The new Xavier Institute had only been up and running for a couple of years, but it was finally getting to a point where things had leveled out. Since there were no X-Men, and since they didn't teach the students anything more than how to control their abilities and then to _hide_ them as much as possible, no one really bothered the residents at the school. Of course, there were some repercussions from it. Ororo herself barely caved to temptation to use her own abilities and tried to keep her flights and moments in the wind confined to storms that were already passing overhead. Yes, it was restrictive and more than a little sad, but … it kept the students safe and showed anyone that was paying attention that there really weren't any more X-Men in the world.

Thankfully, groups like the Friends of Humanity and their like had largely lost public support _because_ things had been so quiet… and largely because of the Avengers' outlook, as well. The first time a sitting US senator had called for action against mutants, Ororo had actually seen the change that came over Captain Rogers' expression - since the school hadn't been built yet at the time, so she had seen his response in person.

The next thing she knew, the good captain was all over international news, telling any reporter who would give him a microphone (and there were several) that the Avengers would destroy any groups that practiced hate, including and especially anti-mutant groups.

So while the X-Men were gone, the Avengers didn't let things get quite as bad as they had with the Friends of Humanity - though the anti-mutant fervor stayed under the surface all the same, in little things like graffiti on the fences or hate crimes in the cities. But nothing _systematic_ , and that was something, at least.

As for Ororo herself, she'd finally gotten into what felt like a more normal routine. As soon as she had begun to really move on, Forge had shown up to help with the school and, in no time, Mia as well.

Which was good, because it was clear that the older Mia got, the more she had her father's mischievous side - and that wasn't always good for a school that tried to stay out of the spotlight. She was all of five years old, but she was already telling everyone who would listen that she wanted to be a pirate - "or at least a X-Men!" which was hard to correct her on while also honoring the stories Ororo wanted to be sure she heard about Kurt.

At the moment, though, she was hanging off of Forge's arm by her tail and grinning up at him crookedly. "You gotta _play_ ," she told him. "You're supposed to be the bad guy!"

"I told you: I don't know _how_ to be the bad guy," Forge teased.

"Well, you can be a dragon and just roar a lot," she reasoned. "And then I can _vain-squish_ you!"

"Don't you think I can be a knight?" Forge asked, waving at her with his metal fingers before he scooped her up and started tickling her.

Mia burst into delighted laughter, squirming around until he stopped and she could throw her arms around his neck in a hug. "You're so silly!"

Forge smiled as he pulled her closer and kissed her cheek. "Only when I've got someone fun to play with."

"I love you," Mia said, grinning at him widely.

"I love you too, little goddess," Forge said before he tossed her in the air and let her climb onto his shoulders.

Mia was grinning as the two of them caught up to Ororo, who was in the gardens as usual. Those had taken the longest time to replace, but she had kept at it, and for the first time, they were starting to bloom in splendor much like she used to see.

"Hi, Mom," Mia called out from Forge's shoulder. "My Forge is silly!"

"He certainly is," Ororo agreed before she leaned close enough to kiss his cheek. "And we like him silly, don't we?"

Mia giggled when Forge stole a proper kiss in response. "He's _ours_ , huh, Mom?"

Ororo smiled at that. "For as long as he stays with us, yes."

"Oh, so forever," Mia said confidently, which had Forge laughing.

"Looks like you've trained the teachers well in who actually runs the place," called out a familiar voice - and Storm looked over in surprise to see that Scott was there with all three of his own kids. It was a rare occasion to see them there, after all. The boys were talking with their heads together, but Rachel was attached to her dad and wouldn't let go of his arm, looking distressed and overwhelmed and hiding her face as they got closer.

It was a surprise to see them there when Scott had made it a point never to come to the school. He'd invited Ororo and Mia to Christmas a few months prior, but for the most part, they kept to themselves, fishing and hunting and attending school in the small town a hundred miles north of Westchester. If not for the fact that Ororo knew better, she would have even said they looked the part of a small town family, in jeans and plain shirts; Scott even had a beard, and Rachel normally had her hair in braids, though it was down and she was using it to hide her face this time.

Mia grinned, faster to blink out of surprise than Ororo was, and bent over nearly backwards to wave Scott's way. "Hi, Scott!"

Scott smirked and waved right back. "Hi, Mia. Can I borrow your mom for a minute? You can play with Nate and James."

"Okay," Mia said happily, and Forge set her down so that she could rush over to her friends. It didn't take long before all three of the younger kids were chasing each other through the garden - and Forge went with them to give Scott some privacy to talk with Ororo.

Scott took a deep breath and let it out, one hand on the back of Rachel's head as the little redhead tried to disappear into his side - though she was getting old enough that it was harder for her to hide now that she was taller. "She's a telepath," Scott explained, getting right to the heart of the problem, as usual.

Ororo took just a moment to blink at the two of them before she couldn't stop the growing smile. "Well that's good news, isn't it?" Ororo said.

"Yeah, you could have gotten my powers and had to hide your eyes," Scott said Rachel's way, though she held on tighter, and he sighed. "It's overwhelming," he said.

"I'd imagine it would be easier where the four of you are," Ororo said before she gestured for them to take a seat.

"Yeah…" Scott trailed off and rubbed the back of his neck. "She's having a hard time with … with _me_ , honestly," he said in a breath, and it was clear to hear in his tone how much the admission hurt.

Ororo straightened up at that. "Scott."

"I know. I don't let the kids see it, but every time she brushes my mind, it feels like Jean and-" Scott cut himself off.

"Betsy is here," Ororo said. "I know she'd be more than happy to help in any way she can."

Scott nodded, his shoulders relaxing. "Thank you."

Ororo offered Rachel her hand. "Do you remember Betsy?" she asked.

Rachel nodded quietly. "Yeah. I like her hair."

"She cut her hair since the last time you saw her," Ororo told her. "It's very short."

Rachel nodded shyly. "Okay."

Scott let out a breath and then simply picked Rachel up and gestured for Ororo to lead the way. "Come on, Rach. Betsy is one of the best."

"Not like Mom," Rachel said quietly - and Ororo could see the moment Scott almost lost a step before he shook his head.

"No, but she can still help you."

When they got to Betsy, she was sitting with Warren, quietly having tea, though to say that Warren looked ragged would have been a massive understatement. He simply didn't have much of a chance to stretch his wings anymore - and it showed. Both of them looked up when the three of them walked into the room, and both of them looked positively relieved to see Scott there. "We need to find you a razor," Warren said.

"You'd scare half the elementary school teachers. I'm a regular fixture, and they wouldn't recognize me," Scott said dryly.

"Maybe they need to be shaken up," Warren replied as he got to his feet and ruffled his feathers as he stretched. It was just an instant before Warren offered him his hand, and when Scott took it, he pulled him into a brief, tight hug. "It's been too long, stranger."

"You haven't noticed when you've got Betsy," Scott shot back with the beginnings of a smile.

"Are you kidding? I can hardly leave the house. I've noticed."

Scott shook his head as he looked over his old friend. "You do look worn down."

"No room to fly; don't want to draw attention," Warren explained.

Scott let out a sigh and nodded. "That's the one nice thing about ditching the shades. Seems like no one knew what I looked like under there. We're flying under the radar pretty well."

"Someone will notice you got a few good-looking kids sooner or later," Warren laughed as he smiled at Rachel. "Even if they all aren't color-coordinated to you."

Rachel smiled shyly up at him. "Hi, Warren."

"Hey, gorgeous," Warren said. "You here to steal my Betsy?"

Rachel nodded. "Yes, please."

"Alright, but only because it's _you,_ " Warren said before he ruffled her hair and threw an arm around Scott's shoulders. "Why don't you have a little tea, Miss Rachel? I'll take care of your Dad for a little while, okay?"

"He needs it," Rachel said, and Scott scoffed.

"You're trouble, Rach," he told her, and she smiled lightly.

Once the others were gone, though, Rachel looked up at Betsy, and her lower lip started to quiver as she finally stopped trying to hold it in. "I don't wanna die," she whispered out as the first tear started to fall.

Betsy was shocked, but she pulled the little girl over to wrap her up in a hug all the same. "What in the world makes you think you're going to die?"

"Dad thinks it," Rachel blurted out as she latched onto Betsy and clung to her shirt. "All the time. He thinks about Mom and her fire and the Phoenix and I've got fire when I touch his mind and _I don't want to die_!"

Betsy was on the verge of losing it herself as she pulled Rachel tighter, wrapping herself around her. "He's worried, Rachel. But it's not your fault, and I think you'll be alright with some training. We can help you build up your psychic defenses, we can make sure you learn to control your powers, and I can help you to keep out of other people's minds. If you like."

"Mom couldn't stop, though," Rachel said, still scared and holding on tight. "I can feel it in my dreams, and I don't want to!"

"Your mother couldn't stop because she was wrapped up in grief and rage," Betsy said. "You have to learn to not let the fear and bad feelings control you."

Rachel nodded and buried her face in Betsy's shoulder, crying hard in a way that Betsy could hear without even brushing her mind - since Rachel was projecting pretty loudly - that Rachel had tried to hold back. Rachel hadn't wanted to cry, because she could hear how scared not only Scott was but her little brothers, who had picked up on that specific type of fear and were worried themselves.

When Rachel had finally finished crying, she finally looked up at Betsy, who was emotional herself. "You're scared too."

"I'm afraid for you," Betsy said before she cupped Rachel's face in her hands. "I know that you can be strong enough to control it, but I also know how hard it is to focus when you're scared and worried about the people you love."

Rachel nodded, her eyes wide as she met Betsy's gaze. "I wish I had Dad's powers," she said. "I don't want to be a telepath. And I _really_ don't want to be the Phoenix."

"Sweetheart, we don't get to pick what we are," Betsy said.

"I know," she said. She let her shoulders drop. "Dad thinks you can help me. He was happy to hear you're teaching here."

Betsy smiled at her. "That's because I'm a telepath too. So I can not only tell you, but I can show you - and even help you to see what you need to do to control things."

Rachel nodded. "Yes, please."

And while Betsy and Rachel talked a little more about Rachel's powers, Scott was in the hallway talking with Warren, shaking his head as he looked around the school. "It doesn't feel the same," he said. "Or maybe I'm just not used to seeing it in color."

"It's a little bit of both," Warren said. "I'm pretty sure, anyhow. It _doesn't_ feel quite the same. But the color … that's … it's pretty close to what it always was."

"I wouldn't know," Scott said. "I'm sorry you're grounded, Warren."

"It's still better than some of the alternatives," Warren replied.

"Believe me, I know," Scott said softly, then cleared his throat. "But Ororo's right. Kids still need this place. Rachel needs it, for one thing."

"A lot of them need it," Warren said seriously. "It's a good thing that Betsy and I are still around and kicking in, too. We get more kids every year. Some of them _can't_ go anywhere else because of the physical mutations they've got. We're planning a new wing just to house them."

"I know Mia was complaining this Christmas about sticking to the school. She wants to see the world."

"It's just too dangerous right now, Scott," Warren admitted. "And the old image inducers don't cut it like they used to."

Scott frowned at that. "I haven't heard it was that bad."

"Components are hard to come by, and some of the MRD guys have little devices that fry them. It's been driving Stark up the wall."

"I thought the MRD was mostly defunct after Captain America busted up their main headquarters when they tried to reorganize after the Phoenix."

Warren raised an eyebrow. "They're targeting mostly physically mutated people, but it's not defunct."

"I've been more out of touch than I thought, then." Scott ran a hand through his hair. "It's been really busy. James' teachers have been running him through a bunch of of tests. He's already skipped two grades like it was nothing. And then he came down with chickenpox and gave it to the other kids…"

"Wait," Warren said, holding one hand out. "He's skipped how many grades? And in how long?"

"Two grades this year," Scott said.

"How …" Warren let out a breath. "And with as sick as he is, that's … a little bit wild, isn't it?"

"Yeah, if he hadn't come down with chickenpox, we had a test lined up with some specialists, but then this thing with Rachel happened, and we haven't had time to reschedule…" Scott looked honestly exhausted just talking about it.

"I'm sure if you're around for a few days, Storm could line something up for you. She's still pretty tight with the Avengers - if nothing else because they're still bending over backwards trying to make up for … everything."

"I'd appreciate the help with him," Scott said, shaking his head. "He gets restless when he doesn't have anything to keep him engaged."

"Or we could just call up Hank," Warren said, already offering Scott his phone.

Scott chuckled at that. "You never were patient," he said.

"I don't want to interrupt Storm and Forge," Warren corrected. "They're getting really serious."

"They were pretty close when they came for Christmas. I know Mia thinks the world of him."

"She calls him 'my Forge'," Warren told him as he hit the button to call Hank. He smiled at Scott for just a moment as Hank picked up the line. "I have someone here who has a question for you about placement tests." He didn't wait for a response from Hank before handing Scott the phone and waving him on.

Scott shook his head at his old friend. "Hey, Hank. Got a minute?"

"For you, I have all the time in the world," Hank replied.

Scott smiled lightly. "I need to meet up with you or have you come to Storm's school and run some tests for James."

"Is there a problem?" Hank asked, sounding concerned.

"No," Scott promised quickly, knowing that Hank had seen James through _many_ illnesses. "No, it's not his health. He's skipped two grades already, and I need to know where to take him so he's getting the academic challenge he needs."

Hank was quiet for a long moment at that - simply not having expected that kind of news. "I shall consult with my peers and find a reasonable solution. How long are you in town?"

"A few days. Rachel's registering for classes."

"Already?" Hank asked, sounding surprised. "We can be there tomorrow, I'm sure. While Ororo is working out a schedule for Rachel."

"Thanks, Hank."

* * *

When Hank arrived along with Tony, Jan, and Bruce Banner, the four Avengers were surprised by just _who_ greeted them first - as Nate Summers came tumbling over and positively _latched_ onto Hank with a troublemaking grin.

Though before he could even say hello, James came running around the corner soaking wet and wielding a water pistol that he'd clearly stolen from Nate after the initial attack - and James didn't have any hesitation about hitting Hank along with Nate, either.

"Harboring a fugitive!" James called out. "Also, hi."

"Hi, Hank!" Nate said, grinning and wet and laughing.

Hank smirked and scooped Nate up - though he was sure to dramatize an 'oof' as he did so. "You're getting too big for this."

"I'm gonna be as big as my dad!" Nate agreed.

"Maybe bigger," Hank said with a laugh.

Nate nodded seriously and then waved at the other three Avengers. "Hi. You missed it. I totally _nailed_ James."

"Sure looks like you did," Tony agreed, looking entirely amused at the whole situation.

"I'm a crack shot. Dad says so," Nate said proudly.

"And what about you, James?" Jan asked with a grin. "I see you got his gun."

"I fought him for it," James said as he set the water pistol down.

"He cheated," Nate said. "He licked my hand!"

"Not my fault you're squeamish."

"You _bit me_ last time!"

"I'll bite you again if you stick your hand in my face, too."

"Is this typical?" Bruce asked Tony, though Bruce was smirking hard and obviously amused.

"Little boys," Tony said with a laugh.

"So typical," Jan laughed before she booped Nate on the nose. "Hey, do you want to show me around while your brother takes a test?"

"Okay," Nate said. "We can go play with my dad and Mia!"

Jan flashed a smile at the other Avengers. "Have fun, boys. _I'm_ taking my sharpshooter," she said, letting Nate take her hand to lead her out to the gardens, where Scott was watching Mia very carefully and methodically put flower petals in a pattern on the rocks, singing a song to herself the whole time - at least until she saw Nate, and then she roped her friend into playing with her. It wasn't long before they were screaming and laughing and dragging the adults into a game of tag.

As for James, he was more than a little out of his comfort zone with the adults around him. He didn't care that he was dripping wet, but he didn't really spend much time with any of them anymore - and Bruce Banner was definitely a new addition.

"If you gentlemen wouldn't mind," Ororo said as she rested her hands on James' shoulders. "My office is open for you to set up; I'll get our little friend dried off."

James looked up at her, tipping his head back to do so, and as soon as they were away from the three Avengers, he blurted out, "But I didn't do anything wrong."

Ororo shook her head and crouched down to his level. "You're not in trouble," she promised. "Your father told me about how you've skipped a few grades-"

"Only because they were boring," James said quickly. "And it wasn't my idea."

"Exactly." Ororo nodded and smiled gently before she rested her hand on his shoulder. "Your father wants to find you a class that won't be boring, so I asked three very smart people to come here and see just how clever you are. That way, your classes won't be boring."

James thought about it for a moment. "Will I have to go somewhere else like Rachel?"

"If you do, I know for a fact your father will go with you, though I don't know that it would be much of a challenge here for you," Ororo said. "Rachel is going to school here because she'll need to learn to control her abilities; maybe you'll move closer to the city to keep the family close."

James frowned at that but didn't respond, instead remaining silent as he let Ororo lead him down the hall to get changed and dried off. When they got to her office - dry and ready to go, it was clear he was still mulling things over.

"Are you nervous?" Ororo asked kindly.

"No," James lied, shaking his head.

"I had to ask. You looked like you might be."

"I don't think I'm smart enough for this." He shrunk in on himself as he watched the three brainiacs manage a few final adjustments. "I can just stay in the class they put me in. I won't cause any trouble. I promise. It's fine."

Ororo let her shoulders drop before she turned James to face her and draw his attention away from three of the brightest minds on the planet. "I tell you what, my little friend. You can give it your best shot, and no one will be upset with you if you're not smarter than Albert Einstein," she teased him lightly. "I promise you, James: this is only to see what grade you should be in and if you _should_ be in a different school. We all know you're smart, James; we just want to know _how_ smart." She ran her hand though his hair with a sedate sort of smile as he watched her. "But you must promise me that you will try your very best."

"I don't want to leave," James whispered to her softly, and all at once, she took in how stressed out the little guy looked and pulled him into a hug.

"You don't have to, James, I promise you. You can stay with your dad and your brother and sister."

"But we'd have to move, you even said so - and we just got comfy where we are," James said as Ororo held on tighter, though she had to keep a fine handle on her self control when he continued in an even quieter whisper: "Dad doesn't sleep when we move."

"Does that mean you don't sleep too?" Ororo asked quietly, to which James glanced over to the Avengers and barely nodded. She forced a smile into place and kept one hand on the side of his face to make sure his attention was on her. "He's only watching out for you all. But you don't have to worry. And you're getting far ahead of yourself. Take the test first, then I'll make sure your voice is heard on whatever the next step is." She could feel the tears prickling at the corners of her eyes as her next words bubbled up on their own. "Have a little faith, my sweet boy." James stopped what he was doing and glanced up at her with _such_ a familiar expression … that was all the more striking when she could see Logan so clearly in his features.

James looked over at the three men in the room and bit his lip, missing the struggle Ororo was having with her emotions. It took a moment, but he turned their way and squeezed Ororo's hand as she joined him for the walk over so he could at least see what they _wanted_.

Ororo kept by his side as long as he wanted her there, too, though as James got more invested in the tests, she was able to step back slowly to observe.

And for James, though at first he was nervous, it all seemed like a bunch of stupid games that each one of the adults would play with him. Before long, the games were broken up with memory tests, reading and comprehension evaluations, and some math that was well above what they knew he already had down.

Ororo knew it was going well when Tony showed James how to work out an equation with a bubbling _joy_ that she honestly hadn't seen from him in quite some time. When Tony gave him a new problem with a similar format, James hardly slowed down to solve it. It wasn't super high level for the adults in the room, but for a kid that wasn't even ten yet, it was pretty clear that he was picking things up as fast as they could put it in front of him.

Which honestly turned into a whole lot of fun for Tony, Hank, and Bruce as they decided to see exactly how far they could push the kid without prepping him properly. And once James was invested in the 'games', he barely noticed that the test had transitioned slightly - and he didn't notice Tony recording parts of it on his phone, either.


	11. So Much Potential

Eventually, Jan and Scott had managed to get two overly energetic kids inside, fed, watered, and in front of a kid-appropriate movie while they ate their graham crackers and milk. If that wasn't impressive enough, the snacks didn't come until _after_ they made sure the kids had their healthy lunch first - something that entertained Jan to no end when Nate seemed perfectly used to Scott laying out the rules, even when Mia wanted to negotiate getting graham crackers first.

The two adults were both finally getting to sit down and have something to eat themselves, though Jan was sure Scott wasn't even thinking about it as he got out the sandwich supplies for both of them like it was normal to just make food for whoever was in front of him.

"Ham or turkey?" he asked over his shoulder as he got started building sandwiches.

"Oh … whichever," Jan said, her shoulders up to her ears as she leaned on the counter watching him go into autopilot.

Scott shrugged, and a few minutes later, he sat down next to her and slid her some lunch. "Nate doesn't get to play with younger kids very often. He's used to bringing up the rear."

"He's keeping up great," Jan said, and was sure to thank him, even if it was wild to watch autopilot dad on _Cyclops_.

"What about you? I thought for sure you'd be next. Last time I really talked to Natasha, it had sounded like you were going that way and she was expecting a boy after their little girl a couple years ago, but we haven't been in regular contact."

Jan frowned at that. "Yeah, I haven't … really been seeing anyone seriously enough to get that far," she said.

Scott frowned and turned her way with a confused expression. "I thought you and Hank…"

"No," she said, shaking her head quickly, though for how she said it, it was clear something had happened. "No. That is waaaay over."

Scott froze, realizing he'd hit a nerve but not sure which _one_. "I'm sorry."

She turned toward him with wide eyes. "No, no. No. It's better this way. Really. He wasn't the guy I thought he was." She put on a forced smile. "He's not on the team either, so there's that, too." She shook her head. "I can't believe you didn't hear about that. It was kind of … public."

"I've been keeping my head down, Jan. If it didn't reach my small town or if it wasn't something one of our friends said in a visit…"

"Yeah, I know. It was kind of national news for a minute there, though. I mean … it's not every day Captain America _bodily_ throws someone out of the tower."

"Well, now I'm curious," Scott said with the smallest smirk at the corner of his mouth.

"Hank lost his temper," Jan said, shrugging lightly. "And Steve … lost his, too."

Scott frowned as he put together what it was Jan wasn't saying. "I would have thrown him out too."

"You don't know that for sure," Jan said, forcing a little laugh. "Circumstances …"

"You think there weren't a few parents I was ready to put through a wall back when the X-Men were rescuing kids from bad home situations?" Scott shook his head. "If it hadn't been for our creed, there would have been more people-shaped holes in walls."

"Now you're sounding like my therapist."

"Must be a rotten therapist, then," Scott said without missing a beat. "Everyone I talk to around here says I need one, so yours might be a little nuts if they're agreeing with me."

"Well, it was a therapist that Tony found for me, so, you know … she might be biased."

"Yeah, that's why I haven't gone to any of the ones Storm recommended."

"Because they might agree with you or back you up?"

"Because they already know the story, and I'm not interested in rehashing it."

"Maybe you can be my therapist, since you _don't_ know the story," Jan said.

Scott smirked and leaned back, gesturing with one hand. "I'd be terrible at it."

"Yeah, but it sounds like you're the one person in the country that hasn't heard it," Jan teased.

"I know. I'm slipping," Scott said. "Used to be I knew everything before even the Avengers did."

"No, no, you've got much better things to concern yourself with," Jan said. "And the Avengers didn't know … well. Nearly as much as we should have." She leaned toward him. "Between you and me? It's a pattern. I blame the guys in charge of information gathering."

"Well, did you put Katie in charge yet? Because the last time I saw her, she told me she _was_."

"She thinks she is," Jan said, nodding. "And she was mad she wasn't around when Cap threw Hank out."

"Anyone who hears that is mad they missed it. It sounds like a good show," Scott pointed out.

"Not really," Jan said. "It started with Tony, really - there was a lot of yelling, took his clearances, banned him from the workshop _loudly,_ and you know, Tony's really not much of a yeller? So that drew in Steve … and, well … the two of them yelling in agreement is _definitely weird_ , but ... " She gestured openly. "I thought Tony was going to hit him."

"I'm glad he's out of your life, then," Scott said. "And I'm sorry for what happened."

"I've gotten worse on the job," she said, the closest she'd say outright to a confirmation of what had happened.

"That's the thing, though," Scott said. "Even on the rare times Jean and I managed to get in each other's way on the job - which, by the way, I wouldn't recommend when Rachel comes into her own - it was a string of apologies, and it was all accidental, and we felt rotten for _weeks_. That? That's not the same thing."

She shrugged up one shoulder. "I still shouldn't have gone into the lab when I did."

Scott frowned and leaned forward, one hand on her wrist without thinking about it. "No way," he said sharply. " _Nothing_ that happened is your fault. Don't even think it."

She smiled at him for just a moment. "Well, sure. I know that? But it doesn't change how I think about it."

"Yeah, you sound like-" Scott let out his breath. "Well, it's pretty common in the job."

"Yeah," she said, then quietly watched the kids for a moment before she reached over to steal a potato chip off his plate. "But here I am bringing you down, and I'm not supposed to do that."

"Oh, I didn't realize I came with rules of engagement," Scott said dryly.

"No, no, you don't," Jan clarified. " _I_ do. I'm supposed to just … not do this."

"I'm not sure what 'this' is that you're avoiding, unless it's telling me about what's been going on in your life," Scott pointed out.

"Wow, you're really good at looking for stuff like that, Scott, _no_ ," Jan said, shaking her head. "I'm not supposed to get all wrapped up thinking about what happened with Hank. And I stink at that."

"You're talking to the wrong person, Jan. My daughter got telepathy and immediately freaked out because she could hear me panicking about her mom's powerset," Scott said, his smile tighter than before.

"That actually seems totally sensible though," Jan said. "At least as a first reaction. All things considered."

"Well, that makes you the first person to think so," Scott said, shaking his head.

"Then I must be nuts, right?" Jan teased. "I mean, it's not like I'm avoiding dating anyone because of this - or that the rare times I've considered it, I ended up shrinking down and flying off instead of going through with it because … well. _The pity look._ "

"Jan, I'm active at an elementary school PTA of mostly women. I'm _well-versed_ in that look," Scott said, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling.

"Then … don't throw stones, crazy person."

"Wasn't trying to," Scott promised, both hands raised.

"PTA, huh?" Jan asked after a long while.

"Hey, I used to run strategy for dozens of X-Men. I can handle a book drive or two."

"I'm not judging," Jan said. "Just sounds like a nice change of pace."

"The kids need to know I've got their backs," Scott said with a shrug.

Jan nodded and let out a sigh. "We were talking about kids before the .. ah … the thing."

"You'd be great. Nate was already saying he wants to come back and play with 'the nice lady,' so I think you're winning him over," Scott said with a smirk.

"Ooh, good," Jan said. "Maybe he'll remember my name when you come by next."

"Might be more often with Rachel going here," Scott admitted. "We've never been apart longer than a day - and only because I had to stay with James during a few overnight hospital visits while Natasha watched the kids with Katie, Clint, and Lexi."

"So what you're saying is that I've been _robbed_ this whole time by that arrow slinger?"

"A...pparently," Scott said slowly, smiling despite himself that _that_ was the direction she'd taken with that information.

"Unbelievable," she said under her breath. "Undercut by a freakin' cold war spy and her corn dog-breathed boy-toy."

"No, Jan, tell me how you really feel," Scott chuckled.

She turned his way and gave him a falsely angry side eye - not that she could sustain it. "I think I may have _already_ ," Jan said. "But … since you asked - that is _totally_ a mistake. They can't be trusted. Honestly. Horrible influence. Both of them. And _I will tell that to their faces._ Their smug, kid hogging faces."

"Okay, okay, I'm convinced," Scott said, smiling a little wider. "Your application for first shot at babysitting is _received_ , Jan."

"Oh good; it only took me this long to get my foot in the door. Even though I am _clearly_ the best candidate."

"Hey, Natasha helped me set up security on the house."

Jan waved a hand. "Oh sure, that's _one thing_ that she does well that can be applied around kids." She was at least smiling by that time, though.

"Oh, come on. You've seen her with Katie and Lexi," Scott laughed.

" _Biased!_ " Jan said. "Totally biased!"

"I didn't even know you were so deeply _interested_ until just now!" Scott said, still laughing.

"Well, you didn't really ask around, did you?" Jan said. "I have always loved these little troublemakers." She tipped her head. "Though … admittedly, I don't think I've really seen James outside of the lab and that little while that he was with Tony. And he totally hogged him the whole time."

"Yeah, we're pretty regular customers for Hank. He's starting to grow out of it as he gets older, thankfully, but he does still come down with every single bug that goes around the school," Scott said, shaking his head.

"Maybe it's a trial by fire for him," Jan said. "Get all the sick over with ... "

"Maybe," Scott said. "We had to get an X-ray last time we came after he landed wrong falling out of a tree, so we know he's got bone claws."

"So it's a possible thing," she said.

"I'd say at this point it's a _likely_ thing," Scott said. "Considering his parents, anyhow."

"Just trying to be scientific. For like … five seconds."

"Well, you're not wrong. Nothing's guaranteed. For all I know, Nate will heal, and James will shoot optic blasts." Scott chuckled and gestured to his face and the three-pronged scars there. "Could surprise us."

"If that's the case, then I think you'd have some serious explaining to do," Jan teased.

"Oh yeah. The fact that he looks like his dad and Nate looks like me..."

"That just makes it _really_ confusing," she giggled.

Scott rolled his eyes. "If you say so, Jan."

"I really don't," she said, smiling still. "But I think this is the most fun talk I've had with anyone in a _while_. All the guys are still half afraid to talk to me or, you know, treat me like I'm not a china doll that's going to shatter at any moment."

Scott shook his head. "You really need to get out more if _I'm_ your measuring stick for fun. You can ask Rachel: I'm a boring dad."

"Hey. You bring the fun with you," Jan said.

"Oh, I see. You're using me to get to the real fun."

"Closest I'll ever probably get," she replied.

"I already said I'd let you babysit," he said, shaking his head. "We're going to be here pretty often for Rachel, and if James ends up needing more advanced schooling, we'll have to find a place close by and commute between them."

Jan tipped her head in concession and turned to watch the kids in the living room as Mia curled up with her head on Nate's shoulder as they started to settle down better. Which was about when Jan seemed to realize how long the kids had been separated from James. "How long is that evaluation supposed to take, anyhow?" Jan asked. "Seems like we might be getting close - if you go by how tired the kids are."

"I have no idea," Scott admitted, looking toward where Mia and Nate were curled up on the couch. "I don't know. Is that a good thing?"

"Want me to go spy on 'em?" Jan offered. "I can fly right through the keyhole."

Scott laughed, but before he could answer either way, the geniuses in question hit the hallway headed their way, and Scott got to his feet so he could grab James up into a swinging hug and check on him. "Hey, how'd it go? Did you make them all feel like neanderthals?"

"I don't think so," James said, shaking his head and looking a little confused now that he was out and away from them.

Scott raised an eyebrow and then readjusted the way he was holding James so he could point his gaze toward Tony. "See that look? That is the look of a man who has no poker face and is excited about his hand. That look tells me you did amazing."

"I don't know," James said slowly as Tony and Bruce came the rest of the way toward them. "They've been like that since before we _did_ anything."

"Well, let's ask," Scott said, then made a show of looking toward Tony and Bruce. "Well?"

"He's got some _serious_ potential," Bruce said, even cutting across Tony, which was impressive on its own.

"I could have told you that," Scott said, ruffling James' hair.

"He picks up equations after seeing the way they're solved," Tony said. "Nothing rocket-science level - _yet_ \- but yeah. He's gonna be bored with most things, I think."

"So, what do I need to do?" Scott asked. "Whatever program he needs, I'll do it."

"It's okay," James said quietly, curling in on himself. "You don't have to."

Scott let out a breath and turned to press his forehead to James'. "Hey, bud, it's not a problem. We found Rachel a school that works for her; now we need to find you one. And we'll find something for Nate where he can play every sport the world has ever known, too."

"Ah … about that. It might end up being more like a group of tutors," Tony said. "I can tell you from experience being a kid in a place meant for older teens and adults isn't … a great idea. And if he takes off like I think he will, a program might be restrictive." When Scott glanced up at him, Tony tried to clue Scott in at exactly how well James was doing. "I know I was bored in my programs most of the time."

"Right." Scott nodded and gave James a hug until he relaxed, then turned back to Tony. "I need them to be cleared by you, me, and Natasha before I'll let them meet him."

"Wouldn't dream of anything else," Tony said. "I'll start looking. Don't worry about costs; I'll get whoever you pick on contract and take care of it."

"Thanks," Scott said, adjusting the way he was holding James. "This really does mean a lot to me."

"Told you before you just had to tell me what you needed," Tony said. "I'm sticking to it." He reached out to rest a hand on James' back, which drew the little boy's attention. "You did great, kiddo. Really great."

James smiled quietly at that but kept close to Scott as Bruce started to chat with Scott and Jan - who was enthusiastic and cheerful enough that James started to relax more - a point that had Scott smiling at her. She was going to be an amazing influence if she was serious about her offer to spend time with the kids.


	12. Yellow And Black Influencer

Jan's first shot at babysitting Scott's kids came just a few days after the evaluation had been completed for James. Scott had asked Natasha to help him find a place where he could be close to Rachel _and_ he could be available for the private tutors Tony was looking into. He wasn't necessarily looking for anything permanent, just something he could use while his kids figured out this new turning point in their lives. As a result of the quick rush of new information and the buzz going around the Avengers regarding _all_ of Scott's kids, Natasha had suggested using one of the apartments in the building Clint owned in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Since Natasha and Clint had adopted Katie, the place was one of the safest buildings in the borough - in no small part because the tracksuit mafia that had tried to make Clint's life hell had gotten scared off by a combination of Storm's wrath in the early days after losing Kurt and then an unrelenting Black Widow making their lives a living hell _as her hobby_ until they finally retreated.

So Clint's building was a safe place, with the promise of anonymity and the Avengers close enough that if there was a problem at the school or if there were problems as the two boys got older and grew into _their_ powers, he'd have backup, too.

But Scott wanted to get everything set up himself, triple-check the security, and talk to the school that Nate would be attending - which also happened to be Katie's school, so the chances of it being problematic were _low_. Still, it just meant that Jan got to watch the kids while Scott let his paranoia guide him.

They were all hanging out at the park for the day, and when lunchtime came around, it was back to the tower, where Katie and Lexi Barton attached to the group. The next thing Jan knew, she had four kids building a fort to play pretend in. Once they'd worn themselves out, Jan somehow wound up in the fort with all four of them snuggled up with her while a movie played on the little laptop she'd brought in.

"That's impressive," Scott said as he came in and knelt down at the opening of the fort. "Usually, the boys keep to themselves the more tired they get."

"Really? They're so snuggly, though," Jan said. "No wonder you don't like to share."

"Hey, James has spent enough time being sick and _needing_ the human contact…"

"And he was the one to start the snuggles, too," Jan said. "I am _not_ complaining."

Scott shook his head with a quiet smile. "Well, now you're stuck in there, I hope you know."

"Again, not complaining," Jan laughed. "He's a great little teddy bear."

"He'd hate to hear that," Scott said, unable to hide his quiet laugh.

"I don't know," Jan said, tipping her head to the little guy. "He looks pretty comfy to me."

"Sure he's not sick?" Scott teased.

"He's been tired - no temperature though," Jan said. "And he wasn't complaining about anything - not that I think he would, but ... "

"No, you have to intuit it with him," Scott agreed.

"Then I would guess if he _is_ coming down with something, it's probably not super bad."

Scott nodded to himself, though he was looking around the room until he saw that Lexi was curled up with a puppy at her side.

Jan tipped her head as she thought about it. "He _was_ playing with Lucky a lot, too."

"Oh, yeah. There you go. He has a hard time with pets."

"That is so weird," Jan said with a little laugh.

"Yeah, especially since he has his dad's penchant with wild animals. He found a wolf pack that was ready to adopt him and was sniffly for days, but he still goes to them to say hi when they come around."

"Wait. He was playing with a _wolf pack_?"

"Freaked me out too, but you should see him. He knows how to communicate with them, and honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same pack out that way that was friendly with Logan."

Jan stared at him for a moment and then pulled James a little tighter. "Seriously."

"Hey, I don't … whatever it is, it used to drive me nuts. Logan would go missing or on one of his walkabouts, and sometimes, if we had to go looking for him, we'd find him with a pack." Scott shrugged. "K joked about it all the time. _She_ thought it was hilarious."

"Things I didn't know," Jan said. "And … kind of interesting. I didn't know that was part of the powerset."

"I don't know that it _is_ part of his mutation," Scott said. "The more I've seen it, the more I think it's an instinct to treat everything the way he wants to be treated."

"Then … I guess that means more snuggles, all the time. Oh darn!"

"You're just happy for the excuse."

"That's what I said!"

Scott shook his head, sitting back as he watched her with the kids. "James will snuggle Natasha sometimes. I've learned Russian just to keep up with the two of them."

"Well, he plays with wolves too, so you know..."

"I don't think Natasha would appreciate that," Scott chuckled.

"No, but you did!" Jan said. "Admit it! There's a parallel there, somewhere!"

"Russian timberwolves?" Scott shot back with a dry smirk.

"Yes! That. Exactly that." Jan was nodding along seriously. "Red Room was code for ' _grrrrrrrr'_."

Scott laughed. "Oh, is that why Lexi's so attached to the dog?"

"Probably," she said. "So … how do you usually get these sweetie pies to bed? Or is it just … camp out on the floor once they get here?"

"If you're _very_ careful, you can get them to bed," Scott said. "But I don't know how well that will work while we're here at the tower."

"And … if I don't want to put them to bed? What if I'm just trapped?" She kissed the top of James' head. "Oh no!"

Scott chuckled and leaned back as he watched them. "I guess that makes me superfluous."

"Well, superfluous, why don't you toss me a blanket, then?"

Scott laughed as he did just that. "You're terrible."

"You kind of did it to yourself," she laughed. "And … I had to."

"If you say so," Scott said, lying back with his hands behind his head as he looked up at the ceiling. "I'm glad they've got someone here that they all trust. James does well with Tony, but Nate and Rachel ..."

"They're great kids, Scott," Jan said, settling in.

"They had good material to work with. I just stay out of their way and let them shine."

"Yeah, you help them shine," she said.

"I used to think that," Scott said. "The older they get, the more I'm convinced they're outpacing me. Which is good. They should."

"They're only outpacing you if you're giving them all they need," Jan said. "And more. You're doing a great job, in case no one's said so."

"It's not really about me, Jan," Scott said.

"I didn't say it was, but I am trying to give credit where it's due," she said. "They're amazing kids, but they get to be amazing because of the job you're doing as their dad. Own it."

Scott let out a breath of a laugh. "You're seeing a good day. You should have seen me last week when Nate tried to convince me he wanted a long-range rifle. He hated me for _days_ until I promised I'd teach him personally when he was old enough."

"He's just in a hurry to grow up," Jan said. "Like most kids."

"He thinks he's got to keep up with the other two."

"Of course he does; he's the baby," she said, smiling at him. "It's always like that with the baby. Look at Natasha's kids. They get _cutthroat_ about it."

"I didn't realize Lexi was so _dangerous_ ," Scott said with a smirk. "And I know for a fact Jim's still too young to follow them around."

" _Yet_. Too young yet. He still tries to lean away from Clint to get to them."

"Poor guy."

"You can't tell me I'm wrong. What about your brother? Wasn't he a total pain trying to keep up?"

"Oh, definitely," Scott said. "He still is. Visits from Genosha sometimes to be the 'fun uncle'."

"How does that work out?" Jan asked as James picked his head up to see what was going on.

James glanced up at Scott with one eye half opened. "Hi, Dad," he said quietly before snuggling in better with Jan.

"Hey, James," he said with a quiet smile. "You want to keep using Jan as a pillow or do you want a better nap space?"

"If you want me to go, I will," James said, sitting up a little, since he thought that was what they were after.

"No, it's up to you," Scott said. "I'm fine staying here and talking with Jan while you hang out."

James looked up at Jan, and when she nodded, he mumbled out a quiet 'okay' and settled back in with her, which had Jan melting and making sure he was as comfortable as could be.

The two adults waited until James was asleep again before they dared to say anything, and then Scott let out a breath. "I'm trying not to let him think he doesn't have a choice in what happens to him. He was young when everything happened, and I know getting passed around … not having a choice in who was in charge of him for a while…it made an impact."

"I didn't realize he was passed around _that_ much," Jan said softly. "I saw him when he was with Tony …"

Scott was quiet for a long time. "He started out with me. Then things got complicated when some anti-mutant groups were looking to retaliate for what the Phoenix did, and we needed to make it harder for us to be identified. So … it was Kitty and Bobby for a while, at least until it was clear they couldn't handle being his watch 24/7 and he panicked about them taking him to Genosha. So I stepped up until, again, the idiots in special forces were getting too close. Then it was Tony. Then me again. Then Natasha. Me. We've all done what we had to in order to protect him - and us. Rachel and Nate even spent time with Alex, too - and they all had their turns with Ororo. It's what we've needed to protect them. But I can't let James think that he's a spare part. And I know firsthand that is an uphill battle."

"You know that just makes me want to snuggle him more, right?"

"Yeah, I have that reaction too."

"And I'll bet Tony was hard to get him from. Harder than you thought he'd be anyhow."

"I wasn't expecting him or Natasha to be so attached," Scott admitted. "But I helped raise James, and as much as they're attached, they had their own problems crop up. He needs stability, and I'm doing my best to give it to him."

"You're doing great, Scott. Really."

"I hope so."

"Yeah, you're getting a hug too," Jan said.

"Gonna be hard to do when you're trapped under that pile," Scott pointed out.

"I'll get around to it," she said. "Priorities."

"Yeah, I have to agree; the boys come first," he said. "Katie and Lexi too." He let out a breath. "You really are good with them. I'm sorry about-" He let out a breath. "Yeah."

"Well, I guess we're all settled in now," Jan said, gently shifting the subject. "So … good night."

Scott chuckled. "They'll wake up in about an hour anyway. They never take long naps."

"They didn't have a full-sized Wasp teddy bear before," Jan pointed out. "You never know."

"If you say so," he said with a smirk. "In that case, I'll just fall asleep where I am. Take full advantage."

"Fine by me," Jan said, then yawned a little as she got comfy too.

It actually was a few hours later that Scott woke up - because Nate had climbed on his chest and started poking his cheek. "Um, Da-a-a-ad, we're all playing, and you're still sleeping."

Scott peeked one eye open to see that, in fact, the kids were all quietly playing together with a game of Trouble. Lexi was too young to really play, but they let her pop the dice for everyone's turn. But apparently, Nate was concerned that their dad might sleep _forever_.

Scott shook his head. "Sorry about that. I guess I was tired," he said, ruffling Nate's hair and pulling him into a hug. "You go ahead and play. I'll talk to Jan about dinner, and we can all head to our new apartment once we've eaten, okay?"

Nate nodded. "Okay," he said, then hugged Scott and rushed back to take his turn.

Scott checked the clock and was surprised to see just how much time had passed as he came to sit by Jan on the couch. "I guess I needed that."

"Yeah, well … I can stay with them when you need to recharge," Jan offered. "You need to breathe sometimes, too."

"I usually get more space to breathe during the school year," Scott admitted, then paused. "Okay, so that's not - I guess with the projects and everything-" He let the argument drop and cleared his throat. "I didn't notice I was tired."

"Oh, I know how that works," Jan said. "That, too, is pretty normal for what I know."

"You should've seen me on the X-Men, then. Hank knocked me out once or twice. I was told afterward it was for my own good," Scott said dryly. "Still don't believe him."

"I've seen the other side of it when it goes too far," Jan said. "Tony once fell asleep on his feet after a three-day-straight bender _tinkering_ in his lab. It was ugly. He thought he was fine until he just … dropped."

"Logan did that once."

"Bet it took longer than three days," Jan said dryly.

"Three weeks," Scott admitted. "It was right after Rachel was born. Sinister took an interest; Logan took offense. It was a long month."

"How did that turn out?"

"Well, at the risk of jinxing something, Sinister hasn't come back yet, so I _think_ it was worth it."

"Well, _good_ ," Jan said. "He probably came back thinking he had another day or two in him, didn't he?"

"Yeah. I was grateful for K. She … made it easier to get on the same page with him." Scott's gaze was fixed beyond them.

"She really could handle him," Jan agreed. "Made it look easy, too - which I know it was _not_."

"Yeah, I used to laugh when people would tell me to get better 'control' of my teammate. Like I had control of _anything_."

"Yeah, well - Steve and Tony. Need I say more?"

"Which one's supposed to be controlling the other?" Scott asked dryly.

"That's kind of the ongoing argument," Jan said.

"You'd think it would be simple," Scott said. "But I grew up on Captain America newsreels."

"So did he," Jan said. "But Tony _started_ the Avengers. So it's a thing."

"And you named them," Scott pointed out.

"Well someone had to," she said with a grin. "They weren't ever going to come to an agreement on it."

"So, why don't you step in?" Scott asked, genuinely curious. "Show 'em how it's done."

"I have," she said. "But it's a _pain_ juggling those two. So … let them duke it out."

"Yeah, I know that feeling," Scott said.

"I'm sure you do," she said, smiling his way. "It's awful being in charge sometimes."

"Yeah, well, that's not a problem anymore," Scott said.

"Nope, sure isn't," she agreed. "This … this is much better. All around."

"Yeah. The world wasn't ready for the X-Men. But I think I can get the kids through life in one piece," Scott said in a sigh.

"I have full faith," Jan said.

"Rachel's got a fiery telepathic touch," Scott pointed out. "James keeps trying to die of … typhoid fever or whatever is going around. I think Nate's alright. He's on the soccer team."

"Well, that's the trouble. Put them _all_ on the soccer team. It'll be fine."

Scott snorted. "James hates team sports."

"You're kidding," she laughed.

"Not even a little bit," Scott said, grinning her way. "He's good, but the other kids drive him nuts."

"Oh my God." She covered her mouth with one hand, _trying_ to cover the giggles. "I thought for sure he'd go for like … hockey or football or something."

"He didn't do too badly with hockey. Actually, Nate's the football fanatic, but I told him he couldn't play until he was older. He's still so small and doesn't realize he's as skinny and short as he is."

"A recurring problem with your boys, then?" she teased.

"You know it," he laughed.

"They're going to be amazing," she said. "Well. Continue to be amazing."

"Yeah, I think they're already there," Scott agreed.

"I heard that Bruce is kind of excited to spend more time with your little genius," Jan said. "So that's kind of weird."

"Hey, I'm not complaining," Scott said. "He's a top scientific mind - and no one will bother James when he's with the Hulk."

"It's just … _funny_ ," Jan said with a little snicker.

"Hey, everyone said the same thing about me being James' godfather. At this point, it's practically part of his legacy," Scott said, smiling despite himself.

"It's a _great_ match up," Jan said, grinning. "Genius move on his parents' part."

"I hope so," Scott said.

"I _know_ so," she said, getting to her feet. "So. I'm buying dinner for you guys. Call it a housewarming present."

"You really don't have to."

"I know, but I _want_ to," she said. "So … tell me what you want and I'll order in."

"Nate's kind of picky," Scott warned. "But he'll eat burgers from pretty much anywhere."

"Great - round up the orders and I'll make a call or two."

Scott shook his head, smiling to himself as he wrote down what he knew the boys would eat - and Katie informed him in no uncertain terms that she wanted to have whatever Nate had but she needed _lots of ketchup_.

Which was hilarious when the food arrived and Kate informed Nate that they _matched_ and kept eating his fries until Nate took the last half of her burger.

"Should I be concerned that they're escalating?" Scott muttered to Jan.

"Nope," Jan said before she stole one of his fries. "Not at all."

"Oh, I see where Katie learned it," he chuckled.

Jan laughed and shrugged. "I dunno. I think it's a _mystery._ "

"Yeah, sure," Scott said, shaking his head at her before he plucked her chicken sandwich out of her hand. "Well, this is a good trade, right?"

Jan burst out laughing. "I guess so!"

Scott grinned, though he eventually gave her dinner back to her, still smiling and shaking his head. "Thanks, Jan. I think everyone needed this after Rachel's powers freaked us all out a little."

"It's been a long week or so for you guys," Jan said. "And I'm always up for movies and take out."

"I'll keep that in mind," Scott said.


	13. Secret's Out

Betsy and Rachel were just finishing up their lesson with the tall grandfather clock slowly marking time with its soft tick-tock in the drawing room at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, and Rachel was making good, solid progress. Enough so that they were working not only on how to stop her from hearing every thought around her, but how to gently reach out - since it was such a natural thing for telepaths to do _anyhow_ , and it was an excellent way to know when it was time to get out of any given area should trouble arise.

The two telepaths were sitting peacefully with some classical music playing in the background as Ororo looked over some English papers across the hall in her office when, very suddenly, Rachel's head popped up and she let out a gasp - about half a second before Betsy reached over to her and physically covered her mouth, blocking her from Ororo's view. _Shhhhhhh_ , Betsy projected. _I heard it too. Stop._

_But he's gonna ask Mia-_

_I know. You have to play it cool. Consider this a lesson in keeping secrets. We_ have _to keep everyone's secrets._

_Like how Warren misses the X-Men so badly?_

_Yes,_ Betsy said, though her smile dropped, knowing how much isolation was devastating the man she loved. _Like that._

 _That's the biggest secret with everyone,_ Rachel told her. _You all miss it. You too. And you miss Bobby and Kitty and everyone on Genosha._

 _I do,_ she agreed. _Because we were doing so much good. And it's hard to turn away from that when it's so desperately needed._

_What about Dr. Blue? He's an Avenger now._

_He misses it too, but he was an Avenger then,_ Betsy told her. _So was Logan. But the X-Men were different. It was more like a family than a team._

Rachel nodded, though she kept her thoughts to herself as she watched Forge carrying Mia on his shoulders. She was sure that all of the adults had been happier when they were X-Men, her dad included. And it was hard to reconcile the way Betsy was teaching her to use her powers and not to give in to fear when everyone's thoughts were tainted with anxious nerves and spiraling in 'what if's.

But for the moment, she didn't bring it up - especially when there was so much excitement to be had watching Forge talk to Mia… and then watching Mia light up like a Christmas tree and throw her arms around Forge's neck.

...and then immediately take off running, shouting "Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!" with Forge behind her trying frantically to stop her before she could upstage him. Though he was laughing the whole time, so he wasn't too put out by her reaction, either.

But it did mean that everyone within the reach of Mia's voice knew what had happened when Mia caught up to Ororo, wrapped herself around her mother's leg - and then Forge cut in with, "I asked her if it would be okay if I proposed, and I guess she's trying to beat me to it." He smiled at Mia and shook his head. "Dramatic little goddess."

Ororo looked surprised and then broke into a wide smile as she waved Forge over so she could kiss him while her legs were still trapped by a happy five-year-old. "I'm glad you know you would be marrying both of us," she teased before she looked down at Mia and rested her hand on top of her flyaway white hair. "It appears as though you have permission to ask, Maker."

Forge grinned and kept a light hold on her hand as he sunk to one knee and produced a box from his pocket as he asked her properly - and Ororo mildly inclined her head with a soft 'yes' that was befitting her royal title from the African plains.

 _Betsy, we gotta tell Dad,_ Rachel projected as the soon-to-be family settled into a solid hug.

 _Do you want to call him, or do you want to join me and reach out for him?_ Betsy asked.

Rachel faltered. _Will it scare him if I'm in his head?_

 _I can reach out first to test the waters, if you like_.

_Yeah, I think he's still worried._

Betsy smiled at her for that. _You're not nearly as fiery as you think. But I'll go first._ She squeezed Rachel's hand before she focused on Scott and gently reached out to call for him. _Do you have a moment, Scott?_ she projected, since once she knew what someone's mental signature was - it wasn't easy for her to forget.

Scott startled, and Betsy could hear the worry in his mind. _Is something wrong?_ He asked, sounding almost like he had been expecting - and dreading - news.

 _Not at all,_ she replied. _I was going to have Rachel reach out, but she was afraid to try it unless you were prepared for it._

_No, that's - yeah, I'm fine._

_Take a moment to compose yourself and I'll guide her,_ Betsy said. _She's doing wonderfully._

_Of course she is. She's her mother's daughter._

_And very much like her father, as well,_ Betsy corrected, though when it was clear that Scott was settling out with the unavoidable _pride_ of how well Rachel was learning already, she gave him one last, gentle warning before she guided Rachel so she could reach out to her father.

_Hi, Dad._

Scott's grin was obvious even this far away. _Hey, Rachel. You're already running circles around everyone there, huh?_

 _I'm working hard,_ Rachel promised.

 _I know you are,_ Scott said.

 _I wanted to tell you something really cool, though,_ Rachel said.

_You're too young to date._

_Dad!_

_You're only eleven…_

_Oh my gosh, Dad._ Rachel shook her head, but she couldn't stop her smile. He was obviously doing a lot better than he was before if he was making jokes, and she was glad to hear it. She had been worried, because moves always turned him into a pile of nerves, especially when those moves included him being forced to ask others to watch the kids so he could plant misleading trails elsewhere. _I wanted to tell you that Ororo and Forge are engaged!_

 _Good for them,_ Scott said, sounding honestly pleased. _I knew they were getting more serious._

 _It's so cute,_ Rachel said. _You should come congratulate them._

_I'll bring them something when I come get you for the weekend._

_Okay, but you're missing out on the hugs._

_You really just want me there, don't you?_

_Yes, please!_

_Okay, let me tell the boys I have places to be,_ Scott said, and Rachel grinned before she turned back to Betsy and hugged her.

"He's gonna come over," Rachel said.

"Oh good," Betsy said as she wrapped her up in a tight hug. "I'll bet it felt good to tell him how you feel, didn't it?"

Rachel nodded. "It's so much easier to talk to him like that."

"It really is," Betsy agreed. "He's always been easier to talk to like that."

"Which is weird because he was so scared about it when I did it for the first time," Rachel said, rolling her eyes.

"It will get easier," Betsy said.

Rachel nodded and then glanced toward where Ororo and Forge were wrapped up with Mia. She grinned and then rushed over. "I told my dad!" she told Ororo happily. "He's going to come and celebrate with you!"

"You did?" Ororo asked, smiling at her. "That's wonderful, Rachel. You're learning so quickly!"

"Betsy says I've got a lot of power. I just have to use it right," Rachel explained before she gave Ororo a hug. "Thanks for letting me learn here."

"We're tickled to have you, Rachel," Ororo promised. "For as long as you'd like."

"I want to see you get married," Rachel said, her eyes wide.

"Of course you're all invited to the wedding," Ororo said.

"Oh good, because I want my friends to see me get a dad," Mia said, snuggling into Forge's non-metallic shoulder.

Rachel smiled at that, though she hadn't _meant_ to project to Betsy that, _Maybe my dad will find a mom for my brothers._

Betsy was well-practiced in keeping her reactions to herself, but that was more than enough to tug at her heartstrings. She knew that Scott hadn't allowed himself to move on from the tragedy that had destroyed the X-Men, but with Rachel's infectious hope, she found herself wishing for Scott to find someone for them too.

Thankfully for her, Mia was already running around as soon as Forge set her down so she could tell _everyone_ about her mom and her Forge getting married, so the mood didn't stay down too long.

* * *

Jan was tickled that she'd already gotten another shot at babysitting, even if it was just for a few hours. She got to watch Bruce Banner and James making _friends_ , she got to watch Nate get totally into a football game on TV to the point that he didn't realize he was standing on the couch, and when Scott got back from Westchester, she saw him _grinning -_ and that was a rare enough sight it had her grinning too.

"The boys didn't give you any trouble?" Scott asked as he locked the door behind him, a habit at this point even if the apartment was _way_ well-protected, in Jan's opinion.

"Of course not," Jan said. "We even ordered buffalo wings and pizza for the football game. Total necessity."

"You're spoiling them," Scott said with a smirk.

"What? No way," she said with a wave. "Besides, it was _Nate's_ idea to try something new."

"Wait, you got _Nate_ trying something new?"

"Nope," she said, shaking her head. "It was _his_ idea. I just went along with it."

Scott grinned a little wider. "Well, look at that."

"He loved it, too," Jan said, bouncing in place. "Different-flavored wings. Devoured them."

"Well, he might be hitting a growth spurt, then. Did the same thing a couple years ago and shot up several inches at once." Scott grinned. "He's going to be tall."

"I wouldn't bet against that for _anything_ ," she said. "I'm just surprised how James keeps growing."

"Me too. I can barely keep up with these kids. Rachel grew out of all her clothes, and then _James_ hit a growth spurt, and now Nate…"

"You _know_ , Scott," Jan said as casually as she could, failing spectacularly at doing so while she stared at her nails. "I do have an _in_ for that kind of thing. It's kind of low-key a _huge_ hobby of mine."

"What, tracking growth spurts?" Scott teased.

"Yes. Yes that exactly," she said with a nod, her head held high. "Especially since it means _new clothes._ "

"We probably should change clothes anyway. We've been going with jeans and plain shirts - small town wear…"

"That's pretty classic, though," Jan said. "Even here in the city. I can update you guys a little bit, but I wouldn't want to alter your style too much."

"Yeah, nothing too flashy," Scott agreed. "And James doesn't like anything with a high collar. He says it feels like it's choking him."

"Pretty common complaint," Jan said as she made her way over to the kitchen table - and pulled out a notebook to start sketching. "Favorite colors?"

"The boys like blue," Scott said. "Rachel prefers green."

"And you?"

"Oh, I'll wear anything," Scott said with a shrug.

"Well sure, and you'd do well in just about any color … maybe not orange, but …."

Scott shrugged. "Hey, for a few years, it was nice to have a range of color options. Everything was red for a long time, Jan. Since I was a kid. So I just wear whatever is comfortable."

"That _had_ to be wild," Jan said, sketching away.

"It was," Scott agreed. "Jean was powerful enough at her height that she could turn it off a few times, but never long-term."

"That's kind of amazing," Jan said, glancing up at him for a second before she pulled over some colored pencils that the kids had nearby, already diving in to the colors - including the palettes she was making for each one of them.

Scott looked over her shoulder with one eyebrow raised. "I didn't realize 'plainclothes' was so involved."

"Well … you know how it is," she said. "Something you love doing … it's easy to get carried away. Besides … collarless overshirt? That's totally not something to find off the rack right now, but it would be _so_ comfortable."

"I'll defer to the expert, then," Scott smirked.

Jan smiled and handed him the first set of sketches and the color keys for each member of the family, already diving in to what was clearly for Rachel - if the hair on her little model was any indicator. Even if the style on the hair was more elaborate than what Rachel wore. Ever. "Little girls need at least _one_ dress," she said.

"Rachel's not a big - she hates dresses," Scott said.

"Really?" Jan said, blinking up at him. "Well … maybe I'll just show it to her and ask first."

"She says they get in the way of keeping up with her brothers," Scott explained. "And she'd rather wear shorts and a tee shirt."

"Oh, well that might be a style thing, but maybe she could go for one that's _actually_ shorts but looks like a dress. Stylish and easy to kick all the boys' butts."

"There you go," Scott said, nodding along.

Jan was smiling and humming to herself as she kept going - lots of pretty shades of blended greens with highlights here and there of gold or blue. Clearly, she was enjoying coming up with things for Rachel.

But the boys color schemes were wildly different - even with 'blue' as a basis for both. Nate's color swatches leaned to a darker blue with notes on the margins to add in bits of silver for accents, and she created a plaid for him that was mostly white - with shades of blue making up the checkers that would complement his eyes perfectly.

James' things were a different cut than what she had in mind for Nate - since the boys were built differently and she wanted to make sure they both had something that was clearly their own. But his blues were closer to a caribbean blue than Nate's dark ones, and Scott watched as she hesitated on her accent color for him before she went with an almost vibrant shade of violet, working those colors into a different pattern of plaid too - with white and black.

"Okay," Jan said, leaning back. "I think that's a good start."

"You're going to have a whole closet for them by the time I turn around, aren't you?"

"Maay-be," she sang out. "Throw in a few hoodies and they'll be set, I think."

Scott smirked as he leaned back and grabbed a slice of pizza for himself. "You really don't have to go all out," he said.

"If I went all out, I'd have tuxedoes and long dresses picked out," Jan said with a wave.

"They'd _hate_ that," Scott chuckled.

"See? I restrained myself," she said, nodding to herself.

Scott laughed. "Well, I guess it's a good thing we moved out here. You'd be lost without them to spoil."

"I so would."

Scott smirked, but before he could say anything else, his phone went off with an alert, and he looked like he nearly came out of his skin as he grabbed his phone out of his pocket.

"What the heck is that?" Jan asked, startled by the sound.

"Perimeter alert," Scott said tersely.

Jan was on her feet in an instant, looking like she was ready to fight. "Where?"

"The cabin," he said. "We _just_ moved out…" He was watching the video feed with wide eyes as it showed several black-clad soldiers bursting into the house with guns drawn.

"Oh. That's … I mean, that's good you're out, right?"

"How did they find us, though?" Scott asked, running a hand through his hair. "We've been lying low. We've been _careful_."

"I don't know how they ever found you to begin with - let alone at a place that no one knows exists." She leaned over his shoulder to watch the video with one hand drifting up to cover her mouth.

"Yeah." Scott shook his head before he snapped out of it enough to call up Natasha. "Did you get the alert?" he asked without saying hello. "By the look of the guys on surveillance, they're either MRD or government-issue."

"I'm pretty sure MRD doesn't have that caliber of weaponry right now," Natasha said in a clipped tone.

"Then this is government-run," Scott said. "I thought Jean burned out the department. What's this?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," Natasha said. "Stay close. Go to the tower if you're concerned. And I'd say stick close to Bruce."

"He just left, but I'll call him back," Scott said.

"Good. I'll send Clint over," she said. "And I'll call Storm and let her know."

"Tell her to be on alert. I don't know how they found us, and if it was Rachel…"

"That's the plan," Natasha said. "Raise the alarm." Before the call was over, Clint was knocking on the door, since as it turned out, Natasha had been _home,_ so sending Clint over had been a simple matter of saying out loud that she was doing it and glaring at her husband until he moved.

Clint waved, with Katie on his shoulders. "Hi. I'm here to play backup to the Hulk. Which is superfluous."

"Not if he's wrapped up in Scrabble with James," Jan sang out, even if her tone didn't quite match what she was going for. Especially with James and Nate watching the adults in a very solemn and silent manner, wondering if they were going to have to split up and hide again - even if Scott was doing his level best not to do that anymore when he could see the toll it took on them and could see that the kids were old enough to follow his security protocols anyway. "He got distracted."

Clint grinned. "You know what's more fun? Scrabble with the Hulk."

"I'm super curious if James can charm _him_ too," Jan said, forcing the smile a little before she turned to Scott. "They were trying to do Scrabble with _only_ the names of the elements."

"Of course they were," Scott said dryly before he turned to Clint. "What does Natasha know?"

"Right now? Someone's going to bleed." Clint shrugged as he set Katie down. "She's got Stark on the satellite to see where they came from and who sent them."

"The Avengers said they'd be watching for groups like this," Scott said, one eyebrow raised.

"And they have been," Clint said. "But if this is a government op, it's new and tiny."

"It's about to be extinct," Scott said.

"Pretty much," Jan agreed.

Scott paced a small path, running his hand through his hair, but once Bruce returned looking ready for a fight before he settled in with James, and Nate and Katie were trying to one-up each other on who could jump the highest, Scott had to sit down, feeling more useless than he had in a long while.

* * *

"Captain America's in the news," Natasha said with a dry smile as she sat down by Steve. "You're making headlines."

"Shouldn't _have_ to," Steve replied, sounding irritated still, even after he'd chewed out a few Senators that he knew were behind the little group that had triggered Natasha's alarms. "This kind of thing is supposed to be _over_."

"We pushed it underground, Steve." Natasha sighed. "It's just what happens with evil like this."

"We still don't know for sure who they were after, though, and this isn't going to help Scott relax with those kids."

"I looked into it, actually," she said.

Steve turned her way, obviously waiting to hear what she'd found. "And?"

"School nurse," she said tightly. "She's the one who tipped off the MRD, and the government took over."

"Which one were they looking for, Tasha?"

"All three of them," Natasha said. "She tested for the X-gene when the kids had chickenpox."

Steve swore outright and started to pace, his hands on his hips while he had nothing useful to do with them. "She had _no right_ to test them-"

"Steve, if you don't think she regrets her every life decision after I interrogated her, you don't know me that well," Natasha said darkly.

"What got her attention?"

"It was Rachel, actually," Natasha said. "She looks so much like her mother, and you know the X-Men who died had their faces all over the news after what happened."

"And the fact that James looks like Logan but is with them …"

"Right. She knew he was adopted, but the family resemblances were too much to ignore once she got on the right track." Natasha shook her head. "It's a good thing James is working with tutors and Rachel's in Westchester - or the kids would have been in the middle of it when those men came in."

"No kidding." Steve let out a relieved breath as he thought of what might come of those kids should someone unscrupulous get a hold of them. "James and Rachel won't be able to run from that. They're both already spitting images."

"Nate looks like Scott too, but his face wasn't blasted all over the national news, and the visor…" Natasha shook her head. "I'm going to keep an eye on Nate's school anyway."

"He'll be starting in a new school here, won't he?" Steve said. "Maybe they can register under a different last name."

"He'll be going to Katie's school. And the last time I talked to Scott, he suggested his mother's maiden name. No one knows what that is, publicly."

"Suggest it again," Steve said.

"I'm going to pull some strings on the school nurse, too," Natasha said.

"I'd like to get her license revoked," Steve said. "Breaking patient confidentiality? At least."

"By the time I'm done with her, she won't be able to get more than a part-time waitressing gig."

"Good," Steve said. "We need to update Scott. He's probably pulling his hair out by now."

"Might do him some good on his undercover work," Natasha said dryly.

"I'm sure that's what he wants to hear," Steve said just as dryly before he tossed Natasha the keys.

* * *

"I don't know if this is the right move," Scott told Natasha as he paced. The kids had gone to bed, though he wasn't sure if they were _sleeping_ after all the tension and nerves that had sparked up earlier with the raid.

"You have to be somewhere, Scott, and considering how close they got, I think you're better off to be near us. Tactically speaking," Natasha said - her tone perfectly business-like as she watched him pace.

"You know I don't trust being so close to a team-"

"And it's a good thing that you'll still be far-removed from said team," Natasha pointed out. "They don't come here. Only Clint and I do. And Stark is sending his very latest in surveillance and defense to reinforce the building. You'll be safe here. I swear it."

Scott stopped and turned her way, the anxiety clear in the lines at the corners of his eyes. "If there's even a whisper of trouble-"

"I'll fly you to one of _her_ places if the need arises."

Scott thought about it for a moment, then nodded to himself, running his hands through his hair when it was clear he didn't have much of a choice in the matter. "They need the _best_ Stark has to offer. I'm talking about the caliber he uses for himself."

"Absolutely," Natasha agreed. "He already swore to do that much and more."

Scott nodded, his hands on his hips. "Okay. Okay. That … alright."


	14. Three Schools

Even though the Avengers had destroyed the fledgling secret government agency that had been hunting the Summers kids, it wasn't until a month into the new school year that Scott relaxed at all. Natasha had checked the nurse at Nate's new school three times over, but it wasn't until Nate had gotten sick and there was no resulting raid after the school nurse had treated him that Scott felt like he could breathe again.

So it was almost inevitable that the same weekend he was starting to relax, Rachel came home from school looking pale as she immediately grabbed onto Scott's arm with a panicked look on her face.

"Why can't I hear James?"

Scott could feel his heart skip a beat, and he took off running to find that James was passed out asleep on the bottom bunk of the boys' bunk beds.

He sat down next to James and watched him breathe as he held his own breath for a long moment. Finally, he looked over his shoulder to see that Rachel was wide-eyed and standing in the doorway. "He's okay," she breathed out, her shoulders dropping as she said it.

"Yeah," Scott said, one hand resting on James' shoulder absently. "Yeah, he's fine."

"But I can't even peek at his dreams," Rachel said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as Scott stood up to let James sleep.

Scott watched James for a long time and then nodded. "Jean had a hard time reading his parents," he said softly once he'd gently ushered her into the hall and closed the door behind him so they could speak more easily without interference. "He's eight… it's a little early, but considering how everything has gone for him, he might be at least _starting_ to come into his powers. Some kids come into it slowly instead of all at once like you did."

"So he's not in trouble?"

"Not any more than usual," Scott said, shaking his head.

"You're still worried."

"I don't want anyone to find out about this who shouldn't know," Scott said, since she looked like she was on the verge of a panic.

"You don't want anyone to grab him."

"I really don't."

"And you're worried that the Avengers aren't going to see it."

"Rachel…"

 _I'm a telepath, Dad,_ she said. _You can't lie to me._

 _You are just like your mother,_ he said with a soft smile before he pulled her out of the doorway into a hug, letting James sleep in peace.

_All three of us know how to take people down, Dad. We've known how to take apart a gun since I was in first grade. We're going to be okay. We could even-_

_No._

_Dad, I wasn't-_

_No._ Scott put both hands on her shoulders and looked her squarely in the eyes. "Rachel, the second your _existence_ hit the government's radar, they called in special forces. Anything more than that - any _confirmation_ for them on what any of you can do with your powers - and they'll call in _more_."

"But you don't think the Avengers will catch it," Rachel argued.

"Natasha and Steve dismantled-"

"You can't just sit around and wait for us to get _caught_ ," Rachel said, drawing herself up to her full height with a flush to her cheeks. She looked so much like her mother in that moment that it set him back a step.

Scott held her gaze and then dropped it. "You're not going to get caught," he swore. "We're all doing everything possible to keep you safe. I just need you to trust me."

Rachel nodded, though she wasn't convinced in the least, and she reached out for Nate as soon as Scott went to get dinner started. _Nate, James is getting powers and Dad's freaking out, and no one is going to actually_ do _anything about how stupid this is._

 _What do you want_ me _to do about it_? Nate projected back. _Not like I can stop James from doing whatever he's doing._

_No, but you can help me convince Natasha and Steve to train us. We'll tell them we want to be Avengers._

_I'll bet James can too; he's at the tower_ a lot _more than we are,_ Nate said. _And I'm pretty sure Stark is already hoping he'll be an Avenger._

 _Then it'll be easy to convince them to teach us to fight,_ Rachel reasoned. _And then we can do something about this. Dad won't, and Ororo won't, and the Avengers are too busy to catch it all._

_I think we can do this. Between us, anyhow. But how do we keep James in the loop now? Without getting caught, I mean._

_Well, he has the tutors come here most of the time, but I know Mr. Stark is pushing to have him spend more time up in the labs with his tutors. He even told Dad it would be easier to keep track of everyone. But … even if that happens, you see James every day still. Until I can figure out how to talk to him like Mom talked to Logan, we'll just have to make it work and you'll need to keep him in the loop._

_Alright,_ Nate replied, though he didn't sound overly sure about it.

 _Believe me, Nate. We're going to be amazing._ She paused and smirked. _And Katie would probably help too. She wants to be a hero when she grows up._

 _Katie will do more than just help,_ Nate said. _She's going to take over on Clint's name. Or Natasha's. It's Clint's this week, though._

 _Mia wants to be an X-Man too,_ Rachel said. _Once she's old enough to keep a secret, we'll pull her in._

 _James hasn't said anything one way or the other, though,_ Nate pointed out. _Every time we talk about it, he just gets really quiet._

_He knows Dad's freaked, and he remembers moving between everyone because of things like this when we were little._

_Pretty sure James is a little freaked, too._

_Yeah, well, if you could see what Dad sees every time he thinks about Mom and James' parents…_ Rachel shook her head. _It's pretty … it's really bad._

 _How bad?_ Nate asked cautiously.

 _Dad… he was blind for a lot of it, but I can see the cells where they were kept, and I can see Logan in a room right before…._ Her mental voice went shaky, and Rachel closed her eyes to block out the memory that was not hers.

_Wait._

_Yeah. It scares me, too. But Nate, there's no one else to stand up for us. Do you really want to hide for the rest of our lives? Ororo and Betsy taught me how to hide my powers. What if you get Dad's powers? Are you going to be like Warren stuck inside because of your glasses?_

_No way._

_So you'll help me?_

_Yeah. We'll_ need _to get James with us though. I don't want to leave him out, and he should be with us. I don't really want to do it without him._

 _Then you talk to him. He listens to you more than me,_ Rachel said. _He thinks I'm bossy._

_You are._

_Shut up, Nate._

_There you go, bossy boots._

Rachel rolled her eyes before she headed upstairs, though Scott had been sure to stay close by until James woke up, and then Scott grinned when he saw him coming out of his room.

"Hey, bud," he said.

"Hi," James said, sounding tired still as he rubbed his eyes. "Didn't mean to fall asleep."

"Don't worry about it," Scott said, coming to sit down at the table with him while dinner was in the oven. "You're tired a lot lately, aren't you?"

"Yeah," James said, nodding to himself. "Didn't think I was doing much, though."

Scott nodded and let out a breath, not sure how to approach this conversation. "James, I think you're starting to come into your powers."

It was almost like someone had flipped a switch for how quickly James woke up and froze. "What? Why would you say that?" he asked in a bare whisper that had Scott frowning.

"You're tired a lot more than usual, and to be honest, Rachel can't hear your thoughts. So you'll need to pay attention to when your senses start to kick in more."

"But that's not …" James was wide-eyed as he shook his head. "You never said anything about her not being able to ... Maybe it's something else. Like … the opposite of Rachel."

"No, I don't think so. Jean couldn't get into either of your parents' minds," Scott explained. "Neither could the professor. Not without them opening their minds first."

James paled as he shook his head. "No."

Scott frowned deeper. "James-"

" _No."_

"You know you have claws, James. This is just the rest of it."

"I don't _want it_."

Scott let his shoulders drop, and he pulled James into a tight hug, though the little guy was tense as a drawn bowstring. "James, I swear, you're going to be fine."

"You don't know that. Not if I'm … _no._ "

"Yes, I do," Scott said. "I'm going to make sure no one gets anywhere near you kids. You know that. The tutors are safe, this apartment is safe - you're _fine_."

James watched him for a long moment but didn't respond to him, mostly because he didn't believe it - and it _felt_ like Scott wasn't very confident about it himself, either. So instead, he let Scott pull in tighter to tuck into a hug. And though Scott was trying to reassure him, James kept his mouth shut, even though all he could think was that sooner rather than later, he was _dead,_ and all the trouble Scott had gone through to keep him safe was just a waste of time.

"I promise, James, there is nothing I won't do to keep you safe," Scott said as he pulled James closer.

"Can you make it stop?" James asked quietly.

"No, I can't," Scott admitted. "I can't - and I don't want to change anything about you, James."

"Why not?"

"Because I love you," Scott said. "Unconditionally. And you can't change anything about your genes, and I would never ask you to."

James didn't reply to that, though it was pretty clear that he was upset, because coming into _this_ power set, his parent's power set, the one that had prompted so many people to try to _use_ them, felt like a death sentence to him - and he was supposed to just … _accept it_.

After a long while, Scott took a deep breath and then kissed the top of James' head. "James, please trust me."

"I do," James said quietly.

"Then trust that I will keep you safe. And that I love you."

James couldn't come up with a response other than a very quiet "Love you too."

* * *

"Hope your streak of different chicken wings is still going strong," Jan called out as she came into the Summers' apartment with James. "I brought _seven_ different kinds tonight!"

It had become a regular thing for Jan to bring James in after his day of tutoring once Tony put forward a solid argument in favor of the security of the tower - and keeping home and schooling separate - which left Scott free to get a little quiet one-on-one time with Nate after school.

"Jan!" Nate rushed over and threw his arms around her neck. "You're just in time. Dad and I just got done with homework, so we can _play_."

"Yes! Just what I was hoping for!"

Nate grinned. "I already kicked Dad's butt at Yahtzee."

"Ooooh, good, you're all warmed up to be competitive for me to beat _you_."

Nate grinned, dragging Jan along with him as Scott pulled his arm around James' shoulders. "How're your lessons going?" he asked.

"Fine," James said.

"Still tired?"

"Yeah, a little," James admitted. "Hank spent some time with me today, so that was … different."

"Different good?"

"Sure," James said, shrugging. "He brought a bunch of sweet stuff with him, too. Then he looked disappointed all afternoon."

"I thought you hated sweets," Scott teased lightly.

"I do. That's why he was trying to guilt-trip me."

"He loves Twinkies," Scott said. "Our team overdosed on sugar every time we got hurt."

James raised an eyebrow at that. "Sounds like him."

Scott ruffled his hair. "You can ask him for something else and he'll bring that for a snack."

James shook his head. "I don't really need anything when we're doing stuff."

"Yeah, well, Jan brought wings," Scott said.

James wrinkled his nose a little at that, though. "I'm not really hungry."

"You sure you're feeling alright?"

"I'm fine."

Scott watched him for a while and then gave him a hug. "Well, stick around for dinner, okay? Even if you're not hungry, I like having my boys around."

"Okay," James agreed before he returned Scott's hug and started for the table.

Scott watched James out of the corner of his gaze, sure that James was taking the revelation of his powers just as hard if not harder than Rachel had, as the four of them sat down for dinner - though the conversation was mostly dominated by Nate telling Jan about the fact that Katie was in the grade ahead of him and had lunch at the same time as him and they had gotten in trouble for launching food at a couple bullies using rubber bands.

"Yeah, I got the call from the principal. You know better than that, Nate," Scott said, shaking his head with a sigh.

"Yeah, but I _won_ ," Nate said without missing a beat. "And they were _asking_ for it."

Scott rolled his eyes. "It's not more important to beat Katie than it is to _keep your head down_."

" _She_ can get in trouble!"

"She's not a mutant," Scott shot back.

The silence that followed Scott's statement was just long enough that both James and Jan stopped to watch how it was going to play out, though James quickly ended up going back to minding his own business and staring at his empty plate.

Nate glared at his dad before he got to his feet. "Whatever, _Dad_ ," he said and stormed out, leaving Scott frustrated and rubbing his forehead before he also got up and quietly excused himself as he left the kitchen, leaving Jan and James in a sort of awkward silence. It took a few minutes, but after a little while, James reached down to his book bag and silently pulled up a book - though Jan was pretty sure watching him that he wasn't reading so much as he was trying to show that he wasn't eavesdropping while Scott had a chat with Nate.

Jan could hear even with the door closed that the two Summerses were _not_ in agreement on anything at all. Nate was furious with his father for making them hide; Scott was trying his best to keep them safe… Neither of them wanted to back down.

"Nate, would you just trust me?" Scott finally said, louder than before, obviously trying to keep his temper. "Do you _want_ to get taken away, is that it? I'm doing my best to keep you _safe._ "

But that was obviously one step too far, and a second later, Jan could hear Scott apologizing - and Jan felt like she couldn't even begin to figure out how to act like she hadn't heard the whole thing when Scott finally came out of the boys' room with his hand over his eyes.

Before Scott could look their way, James slid over next to Jan and took out some paper that had dozens of tic-tac-toe drawings on it - some of them finished, some empty, some of them halfway done. While Scott was composing himself, James slid Jan a pen and propped his chin up with one hand like he'd been waiting for her to make a move the whole time.

Jan blinked at him, then smirked and kissed his cheek. "You're the best," she whispered.

"Is that why you're losing?" James said, completing the little act.

"Um, lies. _I_ am the x's. You can't claim _my_ victories just because I kicked your butt."

"We're alternating," James said. "You can't claim all of those."

"Mmm, I think I can," Jan sniffed. "All mine."

"I'll let you think that," James said. "Just like I let Tony think it, too."

Jan shook her head at that as Scott sat back down at the table and cleared his throat. "Sorry about that," he said.

"I'm sure it's just the age," Jan said. "You wouldn't believe the _discussions_ Katie has with Clint."

"About what, wanting to steal his name before she breaks ten years old?"

"That's an ongoing _issue_ ," Jan said seriously. "She says he's too old and needs to retire before he breaks a hip."

"Where did she learn _that_ one?" Scott asked with an attempt at a smirk her way that wasn't quite convincing for as upset Scott had been moments before.

And Jan was more than willing to ignore it for his sake. "Believe it or not, I think it was from a back-and-forth between Steve and Tony."

"You know, I think I believe that," Scott said.

"Would you believe it was _from_ Steve? Preemptive strike."

"Okay, _that_ part I wouldn't believe." Scott shook his head, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth despite himself.

"Cap is _very_ sassy," Jan said.

"And those kids are still in elementary school. What are we going to do when they're teenagers?" Scott said, tipping his head back to look at the ceiling.

"Retire before we break hips?" Jan said with a shrug and a smile.

"Speak for yourself; I'm already a single parent staying home with the kids."

"Well, you can't escape them," Jan laughed. "You're _doomed_."

"Hey, I got good kids to work with," Scott pointed out, reaching over to ruffle James' hair, though James only halfheartedly tried to duck Scott's hand.

"You sure do," Jan agreed. "All three of them are smart as a whip."

"Don't I know it."

Jan smiled and pushed back from the table. "I'm going to start up a movie, I think … James picked one out earlier."

James waited for Jan to leave the room before he leaned toward Scott and dropped his voice low. "Hey, Dad, Nate's only showing off because he's got a _crush_ ," James said softly.

"Seriously?" Scott raised both eyebrows.

"Mm-hmm," James agreed, nodding slowly.

Scott shook his head, though he pulled James over to kiss the top of his head. "You're a good kid, you know that?"

"I'm just telling you what he wouldn't," James said as he gave Scott a little hug. "Mostly because he doesn't want to admit it, either."

"Well, he's not as old as you are," Scott teased.

"He doesn't know that."

"Little brothers are like that. Mine broke his ankle trying to keep up with me playing hockey when I was your age."

James smirked at that. "I just thought you should know. He doesn't mean to be like that. He can't help it. And I know he isn't trying to cause trouble."

"He gets it from me," Scott said, smirking hard as he thought of it. "When I met Jean, I couldn't string two words together."

James smiled at that. "That might be better."

"Well, he's got enough of his mother in him to give him more confidence than I had."

"Oh _no_ ," James deadpanned.

Scott laughed and shoved James lightly in the shoulder. "Really, James. Thanks. You know I'm just trying to keep you boys safe, don't you?"

"I know," James said, nodding. "And I know you're right."

Scott laughed out of sheer surprise and then pulled James into a hug. "You're so smart."

"You're only saying that because I'm agreeing with you."

"That's what makes you smart."

"Well, I'm going to go make sure Nate's alright," James said. "And if it's okay, I think I just want to read for a while before bed."

"Alright. Love you, bud," Scott said.

"Love you too, Dad," James replied before he got up and took his books with him, leaving Scott with Jan and a movie.

Scott shook his head as he came to sit down. "Yeah, I did warn you that it's not always as smooth sailing as you've seen before, didn't I?"

"They're kids, right? That's bound to happen sometimes. I still remember the _bumps_ when I was a teenager. It's fine." Jan shrugged. "Of course, I was as close to a perfect child as one could _be_."

"Oh, I'm sure," Scott snorted.

"It's true!" Jan insisted. "Especially when my _friends_ were all in the papers with Tony. Made me look downright _innocent_ by comparison."

"Seriously? You're using Tony Stark as your measuring stick for good behavior?" Scott laughed.

"I am using him as proof that I wasn't in the _wrong side_ of the columns," she said. "It's accurate!"

"Hey, you and I grew up in _entirely_ different circles, clearly. I don't even know how to react to that."

"Yeah, that's true," Jan said. "I mean, I was friends with him _waay_ before the team happened." She stuck one finger in his face. " _Friends._ "

"I think you're protesting too much," Scott shot back with a crooked grin.

Jan let out a gasp and shoved him in the shoulder. "Rude!"

"Hey, you're the one with the terrible taste, not me," Scott said, holding up both hands.

"I … well. That's just … shut up." She was giggling by the end of her staggered statement. "Poor availability, okay?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm sure the dating pool was small for a gorgeous rich girl."

Jan blushed but grinned at him "When you weed out the guys that were after my bank account? Yeah. Pretty tiny, believe it or not! Especially when there were girls like oh, I don't know - _Emma Frost -_ screwing up the _nice_ guys, too."

"Hey!" Scott shook his head. "That's not fair. Jean _told_ me to - there was a - the first time she died-"

"You're agreeing with me; you just don't know it yet."

"Yeah, well, Emma is _not_ the motherly type. That's not happening again."

Jan snorted. "Yeah, no kidding. If she was a mother, she'd be the kind to eat her young."

"You haven't met the Cuckoos, then."

"Clones don't count!"

"They're still technically kids, and they're at the school."

"Yeah, but no one had to be forced to sleep with her for them to spring into being. Doesn't count."

"This conversation is taking a weird turn," Scott said.

"Oh, you love it," Jan laughed as she squeezed his arm. "And I'm right!"

"Everyone has an ex like that," Scott defended.

"I'm not even picking on you, Scott. I'm totally laying it all on her. I promise. You were probably mind-controlled anyhow."

"You sound like Kitty. She was second-guessing every choice I made until Jean showed up again."

"Smart girl."

Scott shook his head. "And now all my bad decisions are my own."

"That's just like everyone else, Mr. Summers. And you're doing _fine_ , I promise. Those kids adore you. Even when they're mad."

"Well, it helps that James let me in on what's going on with Nate," Scott admitted.

"Oh? What's that?"

"Turns out my son is just as clueless about how to act around women he likes as I am," Scott said.

"Huh," Jan said.

"It was worse when I was sixteen…."

"You were probably adorable," Jan said.

"Yeah, I lost all ability to speak in sentences."

"That's the sweetest thing I've ever heard," Jan said, grinning at him. "I couldn't really talk at all - and then when I did, it was all at once in a big rush."

"I bet it was endearing," Scott assured her.

"Maybe," Jan said, blushing and biting her lip a little.

Scott leaned back slightly. "Hey, at least we both grew out of our awkward teenage phase into… whatever you call it when one of us is divorced and the other is a single dad. Not sure if that's good or bad."

"It is what it is," Jan said. "Not really our fault on either call, right?" A somewhat companionable silence fell between them as the movie got going, and for a long while, neither of them said anything - but finally, Jan had taken about as much as she could handle.

"So... all things considered, what would you think about maybe going out some time?"

Scott was obviously surprised, and he blinked a few times before he could even answer. "I… sure? Are you sure, I mean?"

"You're probably one of the sweetest guys I know," Jan said. "And … I think we get along alright, or am I way off? Because if I'm off, it's okay, and I won't get mad, I _promise_ , really. Just … say the word and I'll back off, because I really don't want to push. I just thought … it might be fun." She'd picked up speed the further she got into it, and when she finally stopped, she'd shrunken in on herself a little and was holding her breath.

Scott was staring at her before he grinned quietly. "You're right," he said. "You do blurt everything out at once."

"Oh my God." Jan buried her face in her hands.

"No, hey, no." Scott shook his head and put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm still terrible at words too, apparently. You're - you're not off-base. I just meant ... I'm a mess, and are you sure you're - I guess if you're interested, what about dinner this weekend?"

"That sounds great," Jan said, letting her shoulders drop in relief before she broke out into a brilliant smile.

Scott still wasn't entirely sure how to respond, but he sat back all the same, watching the movie in relative silence. "You know this means the second-string babysitter gets to watch the kids, right? Natasha will try to be their favorite."

Jan rolled her eyes theatrically. "She can _try,_ but she'll lose anyhow."

"What are you gonna do if Nate and Katie end up together and she gets the trump card of 'mother-in-law'?" he teased.

"Um … no, that … even if that _did_ happen, I will eternally be the coolest. It's like a _law_ or something." She nodded to herself. "Might even be snuck into the Constitution."

"I think I missed that in Rachel's social studies homework…"

"Oh, sure, teeny tiny print," Jan said, nodding, holding her fingers apart so there was just a sliver of light between them.

"Wasp-sized?"

"Yes. Yes that."

Scott laughed. "I'll keep that in mind."


	15. Paid With Silence

James had positively thrown himself into his studies, which was a different look for him, all things considered. Yes, he'd been doing well with his tutors, but he hadn't _pushed_ himself. Not like this. He wasn't really taking the breaks that his tutors had worked out for him - instead, he was powering through his lessons and then working on some yet-unnamed project. Or at least reading up on half a dozen studies at once, fully immersed in what he had found.

It was enough to draw more than a little attention from the geniuses keeping tabs on him. But it wasn't until one of his tutors realized _what_ exactly he was digging into that Hank was brought in to talk the kid down. Especially seeing as he was digging _deeply_ into genetics - and how to alter them, if it was even possible.

Hank let out a sigh as he sat across from James, who barely even looked up from what he was doing. "I know what you're trying to do, James," he said gently.

"I'm just reading," James said, still not looking up from the research paper he was waist-deep in.

"You're trying to find a way not to be a mutant," Hank said.

James stopped and finally looked up at him. "What's wrong with that?"

"There's nothing _wrong_ with you, James," Hank said, his tone heavier than James had expected, even with the topic at hand.

"I disagree," James said. "And so does the rest of the world."

"And what does your father say?" Hank asked gently.

James frowned as he considered how to answer him. Scott hadn't specifically said it was good _or_ bad But ... "He says we have to hide it. So, I don't see what's wrong with just getting rid of it." He was looking at his hands by the time he had finished his little statement.

Hank sighed and reached forward to rest a hand on James' arm. "Have I ever told you how I came to be the magnificent Beast you see now?"

"No," James said quietly, though it was clear he had James' attention.

"I wasn't fuzzy - or blue," Hank said with a rueful smile. "But I was _proportioned_ this way." He held his hands out, palms up. "I wanted desperately to be normal, and so I did what you're trying to do now. I searched for a way to hide what I was, to _change_ what I was - to stop being a mutant. But instead, despite my best efforts, I only made myself even more obvious." He smiled tightly. "It was a spectacular failure."

James looked up at him after a long while and spoke with an almost desperate tone. "Then _help_ me. _Please._ "

Hank sighed, his expression more heartbroken than before. "No, James," he said softly. "I _am_ helping you by keeping you from repeating my mistakes." When James didn't look convinced, Hank tried another path. "My dear boy, even if we were to succeed, what then? Shall we play God, we mortals with our test tubes and numbers? Shall we consign the entire mutant population to deny what they were born to be?"

"I just don't ... " James let it fall for a moment. "I don't want Dad to have to worry about someone taking me. And I don't want to _die_ like my parents did."

Hank sighed and then pulled James into a tight hug. "You're too young to take a burden like that on your shoulders, James."

"I don't _want_ this," James said.

"I know," Hank said gently. "But we must do our best with what nature has given us. And you, my young friend? I believe you are destined to do great things with your mind-" He rapped James' head with one knuckle. "- _and_ your heart." He rapped James' chest. "The rest is, as they say, window dressing."

"Rachel can't hear me anymore," James said softer.

"That's just part of your mutation, James," Hank said.

"I _hate it._ "

"Do you think Rachel likes being able to hear every errant thought around her?" Hank asked. "Or that I revel in cooking in my fur coat during the summer? Everyone has something they struggle with. Even those of us who aren't blessed with the mutant gene."

"It's not a _blessing_ ," James said, with a touch of a growl lacing his tone.

"Yes, it is," Hank said firmly. "I know you don't see it now, but think of how you can _help_ your father as you come into your abilities. When Nate gets in trouble, you'll be able to find him - and you know he will. Or when Rachel starts to date?" Hank tapped the side of his nose. "Your father could tell with a sniff whether men were interested in using up young women or if they were lying. You can protect her."

James gave him a dry look at that. "She can read their minds. She doesn't need me."

"She may be able to read minds, but she does need you, James," Hank said. "What about Mia? Katie? Lexi?" Hank kept his arms around James. "You have so much to give, my boy. Think of these gifts as a way to help your family."

James didn't look convinced at all, but he'd quit trying to argue with him entirely, and it was clear the tone from the little boy was one of solemn defeat.

"James, I want you to stay away from this kind of research," Hank said. "Not only because it could backfire so spectacularly on you but because there is _so much potential_ for evil in it. The X-Men were plagued by a geneticist who did unlock the power to change his own underlying genetic structure, and he stole powers and people alike to bolster himself into something much stronger than he was on his own. I don't believe you would become like him, but if your research were co-opted or stolen, there could be _so_ much damage."

"Fine," James breathed out finally, and the bitterness in his voice was crystal clear.

Hank let out a sigh and kept James in a tight hug, though he was absolutely downhearted long after James headed off with Jan to go back home. For a long while, he sat in the lab, shaking his head at the impressive collection James had stacked up around him. He was heading down the right paths already and Hank was sure that he'd make a solid attempt to alter his genetic sequence if he wasn't stopped - that much was obvious. So with that in mind, Hank wearily got to his feet and started to remove every scrap of James' genetic research.

"You okay?" Tony asked when Hank finally left the room after clearing out everything he could find that even remotely addressed the x-gene or genetic engineering.

"As well as can be expected," Hank said heavily. "It's always hard to see another young man in the same dire straits I found myself in years ago."

Tony paused and turned toward the door Hank had just left, frowning deeper to himself. "What's the story, doc? And where are we at with our little wonder-kid that's got _him_ in dire straits?"

"He's trying to find a way to become _human_ , Tony," Hank said. "He doesn't want to be a mutant."

"That's not really even _possible_ ," Tony said. "Why would he even _start_ on something like that?"

"Is it so hard to believe, Tony?" Hank asked as the emotion began to creep into his voice. "Is it so hard to imagine why he might want to turn his back on his genetics when his father has taken such measures to keep them _hidden_ simply for what they are? Who they were born to? Is it so difficult to see, when not too long ago, men in black uniforms came to their home armed to kill - all for the simple crime of a genetic test showing that they were more evolved than their classmates? When our little genius had to change homes and guardians _so often_ when he first found himself without Logan and K? What child do you know wouldn't want to wish that problem away?"

Tony nodded, more upset than he'd thought he would be on hearing anything like this. "How'd you figure it out? And are you taking it to Scott?" Tony asked thickly before he tipped his head. "I should say: when are you taking it to Scott?"

"I don't think I should tell Scott just yet," Hank admitted. "I'd wager he's already aware of how all three of the children feel. Rachel was terrified of her abilities; James is trying to wash his hands of his genes _to keep Scott from worrying_ ; and according to Natasha, Nate is rebelling against his father by trying to be a normal, misbehaving child. How do you suggest I then approach one of my oldest and dearest friends to tell him that his son is willing to risk his own life in a terrifying scientific endeavor like this?"

"Not much to open conversation with," Tony agreed. "What I don't get is how you figured it out so quick. It's not like he was asking anyone for help."

Hank took his glasses off and let out a weary sigh. "Tony, I knew what James was up to because I tried the same experiments myself. Not all of us who are genetically gifted have handled it as well as we could have."

Tony took a few steps to rest his hand on Hank's shoulder. "You know I just want what's best for everyone involved, right? I'm not questioning you on any of it. I trust you to watch out for him. And the last thing I want to see happen is that kid falling apart. Or Scott. Or the others, either."

"I know," Hank said, resting his hand on Tony's outstretched arm. "There are limited options for us these days, that's all."

"It'll have to ease up," Tony said. "That's the only option."

"That's the hope," Hank agreed. "Things _have_ improved, Tony. Don't misunderstand me. The weapons programs, the Friends of Humanity, all those who openly called for genocide - they're gone. But we've bought our lives with silence, and it's not easy to accept the price we've had to pay. Especially that family. Give the boy time."

* * *

James was quiet on the way home and didn't say more than a handful of words to Jan as she brightly tried to question him on how his day was, and as soon as they got back, he quietly made a beeline for his bed and climbed in, pulling the blanket up to his nose as he curled up on his side, his back to the door in a crystal clear gesture that he wanted to be left alone.

Not that it was going to stop Scott, who came into the room and sat at the end of his bed, quietly watching him as he rubbed the back of his neck trying to think of what to say. "Hard day?" he asked at last.

"I'm just really tired," James said. It was a lie, of course, but he didn't want to trouble Scott with how low he was feeling. James couldn't help but feel worse anytime he saw Scott worrying over him. Like he was being more of a burden than he had a right to on an already stressed out family situation. It wasn't fair to Nate and Rachel, and it wasn't fair to Scott. They'd already done more for him than they'd ever had to. So instead of the truth … James tried to keep his worries to himself. Which _was_ tiring.

"That's only part of it," Scott said. He sighed. "You know you can't hide things from me."

"I know," James said, pausing for a long moment before he tried a little bit of truth. "My nose has been bothering me, too."

"Yeah, I'll bet the super senses are something else," Scott said.

"Not so super," James said flatly.

"I know," Scott said, scooting closer to rub James' back. "It's always hard to start. I used to get splitting headaches."

And then a little more truth: "I hate it."

"I know," Scott said. "I hated mine too. For a long time. But then I learned to use it." He paused and then rested his hand at his temples. "Now, I miss it."

"There isn't a good use for what I've got," James said. "Just … stupid."

Scott frowned at him and then went back to rubbing James' back. "You won't get sick anymore," he pointed out, trying to find a bright side for him. "Not once your abilities are fully realized. No more doctor's visits."

"I'd rather be sick."

Scott sighed. "Well… think of it like insurance. If anything _does_ happen, you can help me keep the others safe."

"How?" James asked, though the bitter edge was still in his voice.

Scott paused. "Your father and I-"

"I don't _want_ to be like him." The tone James had used was harsh enough to stop Scott in his tracks.

"Why not?" Scott asked with a frown.

"I just _don't._ "

"James, he was one of the best people I knew."

" _Sure_ ," James said low.

"I thought I told you enough about him that you'd know that," Scott said in a bare whisper. "I tried - I tried to tell you stories about both of them. They were _heroes_ , James. The best in the business."

"Yeah?" James said before he twisted to look him in the eyes. "Then why aren't they _here_?"

Scott let his shoulders drop and closed his eyes. "I wish to God they were. Your mom would make everyone laugh, and your dad would tell you what to expect from your abilities. And he'd find a way to tease every one of us while he did it, too." He smiled tightly. "But you have her sense of humor and her heart. I love that about you."

"I just wanna go to sleep," James said in a breath, clearly on the brink of tears as he turned away from Scott again and curled up tighter. He'd gotten too close to what was bothering him and already Scott was upset by it. Which only had James feeling worse.

"I know," Scott said, still rubbing circles in his back. "You know I love you, James. And I'll be with you every step. I promise." When James didn't respond, Scott sighed and simply sat with him, not about to let James feel like he was alone. Though once James really did fall asleep, Scott slipped out of his room and into his own before he put his head in his hands and let his shoulders shake.

* * *

A few hours away and a few days later, Rachel was having a _great_ time in Westchester. In particular, she loved being around Betsy and Warren - especially since Warren seemed to need a little cheering up from being grounded and cooped up.

It was Monday, which meant that she'd spent the weekend with her family. And it had been a little bit of a mixed bag. Nate was worried about James, who was hiding more than usual and speaking even less than usual. And James really _did_ look miserable. But on the other hand, Jan had spent the _whole weekend_ with them, and she'd even gone to dinner with _just_ their dad.

"How was your weekend?" Betsy asked with a smile once Rachel was back at the school.

Rachel smiled. "Kinda weird," she admitted.

"How so?" Betsy asked, frowning at the answer. "I thought it was supposed to be a fun one."

"Well, yeah, I mean, Jan was there, and did you know she and my dad are _dating_?"

"They are?" Betsy said, smiling in spite of herself. "That's _very_ good news."

"I think so too," Rachel said with a bright smile. "Dad seems happier with her around. And I like playing with her. And she helps with my brothers." She paused. "But my brothers are a whole handful."

"I'm pretty sure they've always been a whole handful," Betsy said, shaking her head. "What was it this week?"

"James hates his powers," Rachel said. "And Dad doesn't know how to help him, because they aren't powers like I have or he had. It's sounds and smells and his senses are bothering him."

"They just _are_ what they are," Betsy said, thinking of the connection she had once shared with Logan and trying to explain the powerset to Rachel in terms she would understand. "They're on all the time, and he can't turn them off. Ever."

"Well, it's making him _and_ Dad sad - and Nate hates that he has to behave when he just wants to get in trouble with _Katie_."

"That sounds like Nate," Betsy said, nodding. "How upset is your dad?"

"Really upset," Rachel admitted. "He wants James to love his birth parents too."

"He doesn't?" Betsy asked, frowning deeply. "When did that happen?"

"They're gone," Rachel said quietly. She took a deep breath and let it out. "Sometimes, I get mad at my mom too. She could have taught me _so much_ , and not just how to use my powers," she admitted, her gaze on the ground as she tried not to get emotional. "I miss her all the time, and so does Dad."

Betsy took a step forward and pulled Rachel into a tight hug. "It's perfectly normal to feel this way - and it's alright for James to feel that way too."

"But Dad loves Mom still - and James' parents - and it's not right and-" Rachel held her breath. "I don't know how to help."

"It's very sad, then, that you can't just reach out to James and see what he's thinking, don't you think?" Betsy said.

Rachel nodded. "If I could see James' thoughts, I could talk to him. And even if he thinks I'm bossy sometimes, I might be able to _help._ "

Betsy nodded. "And how do you think James feels now that you can't peek like you had been doing?"

"He's sad. It's easy to see when he's just crying and sleeping all the time." She paused. "At least, I think that's what's going on when he's hiding in his room curled up in a ball under the covers."

"And no one else has the powers he does," Betsy said. "I'm sure he feels very alone right now. Even with everyone around him. Logan used to get that way sometimes, too."

"Nate and I try to make sure he's not alone," Rachel said. "That's all we can do."

"Being alone and _feeling_ alone are two very different things," Betsy said. "Even when you and Nate aren't around him, James has people with him _most_ of the time, but that doesn't make him _feel_ any less alone."

Rachel was quiet for a long time as she considered it, and then, finally, she said, "I think that's Dad's problem too."

"I'm very sure that's true," Betsy said. "But … what if I told you that it was possible to reach out to James?" She smiled at Rachel as she watched her expression shift.

"Can you show me how?"

"Not without him," she said. "It was easy for me to reach out to Logan because we had a psychic rapport, but before that happened, and when I met K - the only time I could get _in_ was when they would reach out to me. You need to see if he'll _let_ you in."

"So… I can reach out like I reach out to Dad?"

"Only if he lets you in," Betsy said. "He'll have to learn to open up his mind to you."

"He'll have to come here. Dad doesn't want anyone from the school at the apartment," Rachel said.

"Then maybe the next time he comes, I can talk to him and see if he's willing to try."

"Thanks," Rachel said, pulling her arms around Betsy in a hug. She laid her head on Betsy's shoulder for a long time before she said, quietly, "I think Dad likes Jan. A lot."

"Good," Betsy said. "She's a wonderful person."

"She makes him laugh. And he really doesn't do that except with us," Rachel said.

"Then he _needs_ to spend more time with her, doesn't he?"

"That's what I said, but he says he needs to look out for James, and that's fair, too," Rachel admitted.

"It is," Betsy said. "But maybe we can work something out to get the boys here and give your dad a day to have some _fun_."

"Well, what if we said Mia wants a playdate?"

"I'm sure she does. That wouldn't even be a lie."

"Then let's do that," Rachel agreed with a crooked grin. "Then I can talk to James whenever I want, and Dad can laugh some more."


	16. Highs And Lows

"I'm 90% sure my daughter was going to push us out the door," Scott said with a smirk as he and Jan headed to a quiet cafe in Manhattan for a dinner date while Betsy worked with James and Rachel in Westchester and Nate kept Mia entertained. "I think she approves."

"That's like half the battle, isn't it? Kids' okay?"

"That's the rumor, anyway," Scott said, smiling as he held the door open for her.

"Such a gentleman," Jan said with a grin. "Thank you, kind sir."

"Hey, I was raised right," Scott said before checking them in for their reservations.

"I can tell; it's _amazing_ ," Jan told him. "Don't stop any time soon, either."

"I don't think I can," Scott said. "My mother would have had my hide otherwise."

"I like her already," Jan said. "Smart lady."

"Oh yeah. She taught me and Alex everything we know."

"Oooh, how is the not-as-cute brother doing these days?"

"I don't see him much. He married Lorna and moved to Genosha full-time," Scott admitted quietly. "The princess needs to be in her tower - apparently even after she's been married."

"Oh, wow," Jan said, eyebrows raised.

"Alex comes by sometimes. He taught the kids to surf last summer."

"I'll bet that was a laugh and a half," Jan said.

"Nate was _so mad_ that James was as good at it as he is, especially since Nate's usually the athletic one."

"Well, _individual_ sport," Jan said reasonably. "Right? Get to run it solo."

Scott chuckled. "Exactly."

"How did Alex take that?" Jan laughed. "I'm sure he was in stitches."

"Oh, he hasn't let it go."

"I hope he never does," she said. "I hate to say it, but it is funny when your little Nate gets twisted up on something like that."

"James has been gaining muscle too, and Nate hates it."

"I noticed," Jan said. "His shirts aren't quite right anymore, and I don't quite understand it for as much as he's just … studying. I mean, sure … he has access to the gym and he uses it, but it's mostly running."

"You remember how his dad was," Scott said. "He could lose half his arm, and the next day, it was right back. Must be part of the mutation."

"Must be nice," Jan said in an almost sarcastic tone. "Not like the rest of us that have to work for it."

"Yeah, add it to the list of things that used to drive me nuts," Scott said.

"Past tense - not worrying much about that list," Jan sang out.

"Well, we'll see how the boys do. I'm hoping I've done a good job keeping them from ending up like me and Logan."

"You absolutely have," Jan promised, giving his arm a squeeze before the maitre'd led them to their table. "Those two watch out for each other all the time. It's precious."

"All three of them do," Scott said as he pulled her chair out for her. "Rachel pops in even from Westchester just to leave psychic 'I love you' notes."

"Awwwww, she's such a sweetheart," Jan said. "She's always trying to take care of James with Nate … and don't think I missed James helping Nate with his math."

"The only _real_ fight Nate ever got in at school was when someone was picking on James for skipping grades," Scott said with a fond smile.

"Surprised James didn't handle it himself," Jan said.

"He would have, but Nate was closer," Scott laughed. "James has always tried to keep from drawing any attention to himself."

Jan tutted. "I'll never understand why they'd pick on a kid for jumping a grade or two."

"There's always a reason," Scott said. "Before I had my glasses, I was a skinny, poor kid with no parents. With Rachel, she was too bossy for a girl. Nate's getting flack for playing with _girls_ instead of the other boys. Always something."

"I'm pretty sure you just said 'jealousy' three different ways," Jan said.

"Oh yeah, everyone was jealous of me," Scott chuckled.

"Um, yes. You could have been a model, skinny."

Scott flushed red. "Not… really…"

"Yes, really!" she said. "Cute, tall guy, skinny too? They'd have loved you in Paris."

"Yeah, well, I was in Nebraska."

"Oh, _there's_ your problem," she said heavily.

"If only I'd been born in France," he said dryly.

"New York would have gotten you there," she said quickly before she gestured to him generally. "Your bone structure? That hair? Done. Deal."

"I feel like you're just finding excuses for your own fashion dreams," Scott said, turning a red color on his cheeks that would have matched his glasses once upon a time.

"To say you're pretty? Kinda." Jan grinned and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. "I can do that. I'm well within my rights to point out the obvious."

Scott flushed a little deeper. "I'm… at a severe disadvantage when you're the first woman I've ever dated in full, living color all the time. Makes you stand out - and I never learned how to properly compliment anyone …"

"I'll take it," Jan said, nodding. "Sounded like a compliment to me."

"I _was_ trying for that, anyway," Scott said. He tipped his head to the side as he watched her but didn't say anything until after they'd ordered drinks. "I do like it when you smile." He smiled and shrugged. "Sorry. I'm terrible at this."

"Thank you," she said, grinning at him. "You're awful cute when you smile too, but honestly, the little crooked smirk? _Super_ attractive."

"Oh good. I don't think I can turn that one off," Scott said, complete with a smirk.

"Lucky me!"

Scott laughed and shook his head as he looked over the menu. "You're absolutely outclassing me in flirting, you know that? I'm not equipped for it."

"I _enjoy_ it," Jan said. "It's fun once you get started, I promise."

"I only ever learned to do it telepathically."

"If it makes it easier on you, I can just make eyes at you - and you can guess what I'm thinking," Jan giggled.

Scott laughed outright as he looked over his menu. "You're thinking… 'how can someone with his bone structure be this bad at dating'?"

"Um, that's _easy_ ," Jan said. "You were always scooped right up before you could practice."

"I feel like I should argue that, but I don't know that I can," Scott laughed.

"You can't! I'm right," she said, positively enjoying herself.

"Okay, but now you have to try it," Scott said. "I'm on the spot!"

"I think we're doing just fine," Jan promised.

"Good," Scott said. "Because I do want you to enjoy yourself."

"Honestly, barring some calamity? I think I always have fun with you," she said. "So you can just … roll with it. We'll have fun no matter what."

"I think you're already past the limit and the wine hasn't even arrived," Scott teased.

Jan gasped. "I did not _pre-load_ before we met up!"

"Are you sure?" he teased.

"Very!"

"I think you might be lying to me. That's a terrible thing to do to someone on a date!"

"Which is why I haven't," Jan laughed, clearly having a ball.

Scott grinned as the waiter came around to get their order, and for the most part, the date continued along those lines - with plenty of teasing from both of them… and a short interruption from Rachel telepathically sending her love with the boys.

By the end of the night, Jan was hanging onto Scott's arm, and they were both laughing as they headed back for the tower, still teasing each other the whole way. It was easy for Scott to read Jan - she was so open and honest about her feelings. And as for Jan, she loved how _sweet_ Scott was, holding her doors open and pulling her chair out.

Scott was still a little paranoid about getting too close to the Avengers in the open like this, so they decided to part ways within sight of the tower, and then he'd drive out to Westchester to get the kids.

Jan gave his arm a squeeze as they came to a stop, and Scott turned to face her with a smile. "Next time, try to come without the pre-date pick-me-up," he teased.

"I did _not_ -" Jan hit him in the shoulder. "You're never going to let that go!"

Scott grinned a little wider before he leaned forward and stole a quick kiss. "Well, I did also say I'd like there to be a next time, didn't I?"

Jan blinked up at him, completely caught off her guard, before she grinned, stood on her toes, and kissed him right back. "Looking forward to it."

* * *

James had been working away at his schoolwork, finally back up to his normal pace after a few weeks of dragging following his talk with Hank. He still wasn't in a good mood over _any_ of it, but he knew he didn't have a route to deal with it yet, either, so for the sake of not causing a giant fight, he let it go and tried to just … stick to his homework.

But that was pretty frustrating, and he spent most of his breaks hitting a punching bag to blow off some steam. It wasn't much, but he _did_ feel a little better when he was hitting things at least. Especially when everything seemed to be fighting him lately. It had taken several visits with Betsy playing intermediary for Rachel and himself to even begin to make it so Rachel could reach out and the repeated failures had him feeling like there was something wrong with his _mind_ , too.

Needless to say, he was having a hard time and was using the gym to deal with it. He was frustrated and angry, but it wasn't until he _stopped_ hitting the bag that he really got mad. His jaw was locked, and he was glaring at the ground, his hands in fists. He wanted to _hit_ something but it just … didn't feel like enough to hit it, even when he was hitting it with everything he had. He was clenching and unclenching his hands, almost like they were itching, when he shifted his wrists a _hair._

An odd sound echoed the gym that James had never heard, but the sound wasn't anywhere near the front of his mind when all he could do was keep himself from screaming. He stared down at his hands to see that, yep, he'd somehow managed to pop his claws. All at once, James was dizzy and sick to his stomach. His hands were shaking and he couldn't catch a breath right. He hadn't realized that there'd be so much _blood_. His arms were screaming at him, and the burning sensation had everything feeling white hot from his elbows to the tips of his fingers. But in spite of the pain, he couldn't quite make a noise as he crumpled to the floor, staring in shock at the blood that didn't want to _stop_ dripping off of his hands.

* * *

In Westchester, Rachel heard the moment James popped his claws. She didn't think he'd meant to do it, but he was projecting panic and pain, and since Betsy had helped them set up a connection, it all flooded her way.

The sensation was so overwhelming that she nearly passed out herself, and then she started to panic, reaching out telepathically for her dad. _James is hurt._

 _What?_ Scott wasn't even bothering to hide his panic. _Where?_

_I don't - I don't know. I - I'll ask Betsy to help me._

_I'll take Nate to Natasha and Clint. As soon as you have something-_

_I'll tell you,_ Rachel promised.

* * *

At the apartment, Scott was pacing, running both hands through his hair before he got Nate up from the couch. "We have to go," he said. "Now."

"Dad?"

"I'll explain later," Scott said. "I need you to stay with Natasha."

"Dad, what's going on?" Nate asked, and there was no mistaking the honest fear in his voice.

Scott stopped, held his breath, and then he took a moment to look Nate in the eyes. "You're going to be alright, Nate. I promise."

"You don't know what's going on, do you?"

"Nate, please, just stay with Natasha."

Nate nodded, though he was scared as they got to Clint and Natasha's apartment at the same time Scott's cell phone rang - with Steve on the other end.

"What do you know?" Scott asked in a breath.

"James used his claws," Steve said. "He can't retract them, and honestly, he's in shock. We've got him as settled as we can, but … he'd probably be better off at home. His healing isn't exactly _on_ all the time."

Scott nearly lost his footing, and he leaned heavily against the door. "Claws," he repeated. "He … he used his ... Oh, God."

"Hank says it tore the muscles that control them loose but that they'll heal on their own, one way or another."

Scott was massaging his forehead as he leaned a little harder against the door. "Rachel heard him projecting pain when it happened. I thought… Damnit, I thought he was in trouble."

"We were with him almost as soon as it happened," Steve said. "Tony found him. I'm giving it to you as Hank tells me."

"Thank you," Scott breathed out. "I'll come get him. I'll tell Ororo … claws. I didn't even think what that would do to him the first time…"

"Neither did we," Steve said. "I knew it wasn't pleasant, but …I didn't realize it would be this bad."

"There's so much they never told us," Scott whispered.

"You know how Logan was. He didn't like to complain if it was only a problem for _him_. Specifically if it was something like this. He'd never say a word, just … tear himself apart and keep going."

"Yeah, I know," Scott said. "K wasn't much different about it, either."

"We'll be waiting for you. He's safe and fairly comfortable, though, so you don't need to rush."

"I'll be right there," Scott promised.

* * *

When James woke up again a few days later in his own bed, with his senses going totally haywire, the whole family was around him, and Scott looked so relieved to see James conscious that it only took a few seconds for him to pull James into a hug with James' head under his chin.

"Hi, Dad," James said tiredly.

"Hey, bud," Scott said, his voice still ragged even after a couple days of waiting for James to sleep off the shock as he healed. "How you feeling?"

"Like I could sleep for a few days."

"Yeah, you already did that," Nate pointed out.

"I did?" James asked with a frown as he sat up a little bit.

"You tore all the muscles in your arms when you popped your claws and lost a lot of blood," Scott explained. "I'm so sorry, James. I didn't think to tell you - I didn't realize it would be an issue. I should have realized that it would _hurt …_ I should have warned you."

James frowned at that and looked down at his hands, running his fingers over the skin that had healed up while he was asleep, though the bloody, gruesome image of the claws sticking out of the backs of his hands hadn't left his mind's eye. "Yeah, it still hurts."

"You scared the cripes out of _everyone_ ," Rachel told him. "No one knew it would hurt like that." She sat down and inserted herself into the close space between James and Scott so she could hug her brother tightly. _I'm just glad you're okay. No one likes to see you hurt._

 _I wasn't even trying to do anything,_ James told her, sounding both tired and upset in his mental voice.

 _I know. You sort of… instinctively called for help, kinda._ Rachel gave him a little smile. _I'm glad you did, though. I want to be able to help you when you need it. You're my little brother, and I want to take care of you._

 _I really didn't mean to bother anyone_ , James told her.

 _It's okay. That's what family's for. You'd come get me if I called for help,_ Rachel pointed out.

 _I wasn't calling for anything,_ James said.

_Yeah, you were just hurt. But I'm glad you called me when you were hurt. If it had been something bad, I'd want to know, right? The system totally works!_

_Still feel bad that everyone got all bent out of shape over nothing._

_Yeah, I know, but it's not_ nothing _, James. It took me a while to stop feeling like crap for scaring Dad with my powers, too. I guess it's a family tradition,_ Rachel teased lightly.

 _Hopefully that's the last of it,_ James said, sounding irritated all over again.

 _Yeah, it should be,_ Rachel said. _Unless Nate shoots lasers through the ceiling. That seems like a Dad heart attack again._

 _At least he could feel like he could give advice on that,_ James replied.

 _I'm really sorry you don't like your powers, James. Mine suck sometimes too._ She paused and took a moment to loop Nate into the conversation. She knew their dad was aware that they were telepathically talking anyway, so she might as well. _Nate and I have been talking about how stupid it is. The whole thing. We get these powers, and we can't even do anything but pretend they don't exist!_

 _For good reason,_ James said.

 _Yeah, but what if we fought back?_ Nate put in. _Everyone's hiding all the time, but that just means the bad guys are hiding too. What if we just… didn't play by the rules?_

 _And do what?_ James asked.

 _Restart the X-Men,_ Rachel said.

James let out a sigh at that. _I don't know. What would we even do other than be giant targets?_

 _Maybe we could take down the lynch mobs and stuff like that. The stuff our parents used to do,_ Nate pointed out.

 _Let me think about it_ , James said. _I'm not real anxious to do this again. Ever._

_Well, Nate and I were going to ask if we could train with the Avengers. We'd tell them we wanted to be Avengers like Hank. And we'd wear masks so Dad doesn't freak over our identities. And not all the Avengers have powers. I'm sure they could work something out._

_Dad'll freak out anyhow,_ James pointed out.

 _Yeah, but he'd also freak if we got caught and couldn't fight back,_ Rachel reasoned.

James mulled it over a little longer. _Tony was kind of asking if I might consider the Avenger thing when I'm older._

 _Then we have an in,_ Nate said. _You don't have to use your claws if you don't want to. You could do like I'm doing and be a crack shot. Or just hit people._

 _Maybe,_ James said. _But the claws kind of just … they did it on their own. I don't know how I did it._

 _We'll figure it out,_ Rachel promised. _But… even if you don't want to fight, will you back us up with Dad? Please?_

 _Yeah_ , James replied. _I told you about Hank. I'm still mad about what he told me, you know. Pretty crappy that we're supposed to be happy to_ hide _. Doesn't make sense._

 _Yeah, you told me,_ Rachel agreed. _And I'm kinda feeling the same way at the school. It's good to learn about our powers, but you can't get away from the nerves, and people like Mia and Warren don't get a choice. They can't go_ anywhere. _Maybe if there were X-Men, we could, I don't know, do something about it. Challenge people to get over themselves._

 _Everyone keeps telling me about_ Logan, James said.

 _Yeah?_ Nate raised his eyebrows. _What about?_

_All kinds of stuff, but.. I don't think he would have gone along with this at all._

_I don't think my mom would either,_ Rachel said. _Not from what people keep thinking about around me, even if they don't say anything at school where they're trying to keep quiet._

 _Dad's not even that happy about it,_ Nate put in. _I overheard him telling Jan how he wishes things were different._

 _So why don't they do something_? James asked.

 _They're scared,_ Rachel said. _I can hear it every time we talk about it. They're scared of what happened to our parents._

 _Yeah, well. I've been reading about that, too,_ James admitted. _And I don't just mean when we lost everyone. The stuff that happened to Logan and my mom - they have good reason to be nervous. If those people catch up …_ He stopped, frowning to himself, not really meaning for Rachel to hear it when his thoughts continued without him projecting '... I'm dead,' though she heard it anyway.

 _We have to stop them,_ Rachel said. _The adults are too scared to do anything, so it's up to us. We just have to play smart, like Dad taught us. We'll start training with the Avengers. Maybe we can be junior Avengers or something. Let people get used to more than just Dr. Blue on the team, right? No one says we can't be Avengers. They just don't want X's on our chests._

 _We're totally putting X's on our chests,_ Nate said with a smirk.

 _Yeah, but like they keep telling me, you can't get what you want. So..._ James projected, trailing off.

_So they want us to give up?_

_If I have to live with these stupid powers and the stupid legacy that goes with it, I'm not going to keep doing this,_ James insisted.

 _Then we're agreed,_ Rachel said. _Something has to change. Let's just keep it between us until we're ready to break out the X's instead of the Avengers logo._

 _We won't announce it when it happens, then,_ James said. _When we get there, we just do it._

 _This is why I love you,_ Rachel said, grinning as she hugged her brother, since she really wanted to anyhow. _We're going to be the best team ever._


	17. The Cost Of The Cape

While things had been calm-ish on the mutant terrorism side of things, the same could not be said for the Avengers where Hydra or AIM or their assorted villainous troublemakers were concerned.

Steve had, in fact, made it a point to move from simply stopping them to completely disabling every faction he came across - far more aggressive than he'd been before - but the end response was that their reactions to the Avengers was also increasingly more violent.

For the most part, it was easily dealt with by using armored uniforms - not quite to Tony's level of shell-like protection, but more than enough to keep them safe from almost anything.

And Jan was still _active_ on the membership roster, which was good for the kids to see, but it was also a point of concern for Scott. It didn't happen often, but every now and again, Jan would be late coming over on a Saturday morning for breakfast with fresh injuries that had been patched up or with a scent clinging to her that had James making a face, even when the rest of the family clearly didn't notice.

But it also gave James the chance to spend more time between subjects reading up on his biological parents. He was to a point that he was ready to start asking some questions. Mostly things like _why_ did they keep going after so much suffering? Why not just disappear somewhere like Scott and the kids had done? Or better yet, how did they get _started_ on that path? It had him wondering more and more about what kind of people they were. Especially when he realized that not only had his father been an X-Man, but he'd been on several X-Men teams, two Avengers' teams, and one other team all at the same time - though that last one was even marked as 'classified' within the heroes' own bookkeeping systems. And that didn't even touch the part-time or short-lived team assignments … like the fact that he'd been in the Fantastic Four for a little while with Spider-Man, too. For the life of him, considering how he'd been raised, James simply had to know: what was driving him so hard?

Of course, all of his questions were dropped to the wayside when the mood of the table shifted as Jan's comm went off and she had to abandon their quiet weekend time to deal with business.

"Oooh, okay," Jan said as she got up and kissed the kids one at a time, then made a point to give Scott a lingering kiss that was still rated for all audiences. "Hate to do it, I do! But I have to take this one."

"Be safe," Scott said, not bothering to hide his concern - not that he'd ever learned a poker face after losing the visor.

"I always am," Jan replied with a broad smile as she bounced out of their apartment.

The table was quiet for a moment before Rachel nudged James' mind. _You know, you had, like a whole list of things to ask…._

 _Sorry, I'll try to keep from projecting,_ James replied.

 _I don't mind,_ Rachel promised. _Besides, I think Dad needs distracting. You know how he gets._

 _Do you really think_ those _questions will distract him and not tick him off?_ James gave her a pointed look.

 _Probably,_ Rachel said with a shrug and a cheerful tone. _Besides, if you're trying to wait for sometime when Dad's not stressed, you're gonna be waiting until the day you die._

 _There's that winning positivity we all love so much,_ James shot back, though it was clear he still didn't want to broach the subject.

 _I know. I'm amazing,_ Rachel replied without missing a beat.

James let out a breath and looked up to see that Scott was watching the two of them. "She was talking about you," James said, if nothing else, because it was the truth - and maybe a little bit to get a rise out of Rachel.

"That's usually the case when a telepath can't keep a poker face," Scott told him, and Rachel let out a huff.

"So... always?" James said, nodding to himself, well aware that this track of chatter would put Scott more at ease.

Scott grinned crookedly. "Pretty much. Jean and I used to get busted all the time by the rest of the team for silent conversations. I'm glad to see you guys are carrying on the family tradition. It just means you're close and that you love each other and trust each other enough to share your thoughts."

"We were actually kind of talking about that," Rachel said when James didn't say anything else, not that it surprised her. She never noticed how _much_ her little brother kept to himself until she was able to hear his thoughts and then she had been surprised by the amount of self doubt that colored his thoughts. "You know, the X-Men?"

Scott visibly straightened. "You were?"

"Well…"

"Not exactly," James said, cutting across her as he tried to keep Rachel from starting what was bound to be another lecture for getting too close to a sore subject. "Not the team."

Scott frowned between the two of them. "I'm sure you've both been hearing stories," he said slowly.

"Not really that, either," James said, trying to defuse a situation before it became tense. "No one's telling stories about the team. And we're _not_ asking."

"So what…?" Scott shook his head. "I think you've lost me."

James sighed and looked down at his hands in his lap. "Tony's been letting me read about the team from the archives - not … it's not for the team itself. He said he wanted me to know where I came from."

Scott nodded gently. "I can see that."

"Well, you can only see half of it," James said. "There's next to _nothing_ about my mom, anywhere and what I found on Logan … I don't really understand."

"Your mom always liked to stay out of the spotlight, so that part makes sense for her," Scott said.

"It's almost like she never _existed_ ," James said.

Scott sighed. "You have to understand, James: your parents escaped the department I told you about and came out the other side determined not to let it happen again."

"Yeah, I know. I read that. And I read the files on what the department did to them," James said, though he looked like he immediately regretted admitting as much.

"You did?" Scott blinked. "James…"

"I ... wanted to know."

"James, what those people did was beyond-"

"I know," James said as the frown got a little deeper. "What I don't understand is _why,_ after all that, my parents joined on with _any_ team."

Scott watched James for a long time, obviously weighing out his answer. "It's…"

"I'm not even talking about the fact that it was your team and the Avengers. It was a lot more than that, and no one told me. He wasn't just on two teams. He was on almost _all_ of them. Why?"

"You know," Scott said slowly, "I actually had the same questions for a long time."

"But what was driving him so hard?" James asked.

"Well, your mom let me in on the secret," Scott said, not even noticing that Rachel had taken Nate into the living room so the two of them could talk in private - even if Rachel and Nate were still totally eavesdropping on the other side of the door. "I don't even remember why, but your father and I were arguing about something, and our tempers got the better of us. We'd yelled at each other, I threw it in his face that he was on other teams…" He shook his head and rubbed a hand over his face. "Jean asked K to come talk to me, because she was worried we'd drive the team apart. And do you know - I'll never forget how she sat down in the garage with me and laid it out." He was talking in a slow and steady meter that James had come to recognize as one that meant he missed all of them and was trying not to show it. "Those two couldn't remember everything after the department messed with them, but one of the worst things the program did was to leave them aware of their actions. They knew what they were being forced to do. They knew they'd hurt and killed people. And they worked so hard to do _good_ once they were out of that program, because they felt like they had to make up the difference for the harm they'd been forced to cause." Before James could say anything, Scott held up a hand. "I've told you before that I have never, _not once_ , blamed your father for these scars," he said, pointing to his eyes. "The same thing applies here. None of us feel like they were responsible for what they were _forced_ to do while the department had them. But they still felt it."

"What was the classified team he was on?"

Scott held his breath for a moment before he decided to answer him. "We called it X-Force," he said quietly. "It… we didn't want the X-Men to be faced with missions that would cross lines, but there were times…"

"So they were _dirty_." It absolutely wasn't a question the way James said it, and his opinion on the matter was clear by the tone of his voice and the fact that he'd cut across Scott - something he _never_ did.

"James, no," Scott said, one hand on his arm. "You have to understand. There were some missions that _had_ to happen, but we were trying to keep the world from thinking of us as killers and weapons. _I_ asked them to do the missions I couldn't ask the team to do, because I knew they could keep the missions covert, and I _trusted_ them to only cross the lines they had to cross. Nothing more than that. Maybe it wasn't my best decision, but we were trying to - God, we just wanted to keep our heads above water."

"That was why Cap asked him to join the Avengers to start with, too," James said. "Because of his _rep._ "

"You'd have to ask Steve about that."

"I don't. It's in the files," James said. "I read it."

Scott sighed and ran a hand over his face. "James…"

"I'm just trying to get the whole picture because I don't _remember_ them, okay? Everyone keeps telling me that I'm like _him_ \- and I don't know what that _means._ But from everything I've _read_ … I don't … "

"I know," Scott said. "But the files… they only show what he was trained to do. What they _both_ were trained to do."

"I know," James said. "I want to know more. But that's what I've got to work with."

"Your father was more than what he was trained to do," Scott said gently. "James, he was so good at being a hero, I … I felt like I could barely keep up."

"Is that why everyone quit?"

Scott felt like all the air had left him, but James was watching him so steadily that he couldn't leave it hanging between them. "No," he said, the sound almost strangled.

James leaned forward. "Then _why_? The risks were always there. The danger was always there. The _trouble_ was always there. I read every file - every bit of it. It's all laid out. So why give up?"

Scott stared at James for a long time. "You remind me of him," he said softly. "He had a way of getting right to the heart of the matter."

"I honestly don't know if I should take that as a compliment or not."

"You should," Scott said.

"He was _not_ a good guy," James said.

Scott shook his head. "James, all the stories I told you - those were all true, too. Just because they weren't in the files doesn't make them any less true. The people I told you about - _those_ are your parents."

"So is the rest of it."

"James…" Scott shook his head. "You didn't get to see him in action. He could tear apart an army bare-handed and in the next breath keep a little girl from crying over her broken doll…."

"It's not a criticism," James said. "It's just a fact."

"I just don't want you to think they were anything _less_ than what they were," Scott said in a breath.

"And what they were was defined by who you ask," James said before he gestured openly. "I just want to know all of it, since everyone wants to tell me I'm like _him_."

Scott nodded, his heart in his throat. "James, they were family," he said. "That… that's why we quit."

James narrowed his eyes for just an instant. "I know you're going to tell me I'm too young to hear it, but one day, I'm going to ask how it happened. And I want to know the _truth_. Not the kid version of it. Please."

"You _are_ too young to hear it right now," Scott said.

"Which is why I'm not _asking_ right now," James said. "I already _know_ you won't tell me."

"James, you have to understand. The way we lost them…"

"Doesn't make sense. The way they died - in the files - doesn't make sense. And I know that it had to have been written down in a way to keep this talk from happening too soon. So I'm not pushing. _I'm not_. But I will want to know. I _do_ , but I know it's not time yet."

Scott nodded almost numbly. "When you're older, I promise, I will tell you," he said. "All three of you. But it was terrible enough to drive the X-Men apart. We couldn't…. James, we could barely hold our lives together, let alone a team."

James nodded, clearly on the brink of tears anyhow just from the weight of the conversation. "I don't want to find out that they died for no reason. That's all."

Scott let out a small sound from the back of his throat before he reached out and yanked James into a hug. "James, all I want you to know right now is that they both loved you more than anything. There is _nothing_ they wouldn't have done for you. And if they'd walked out of that place and I'd been the one to die, I guarantee you they would be doing for your brother and sister exactly what I'm trying to do for you."

"Okay," James said with a nod.

"When I tell you how much you remind me of them, that's what I see. Not what was in the files you read, alright? I never want you to think that's what I see when I look at you. I see your mother's sharp wit and your father's heart, and I _love you_ for it, James."

"Love you too," James said quietly. "I'm not trying to be a pain, I promise. I just … "

"I know you're not. I did the same thing when I was a kid, trying to find out more about my parents. It's hard to feel like you're trying to know a ghost."

"Yeah, but that had a very different outcome," James said dryly.

"Yeah, well." Scott let out a sigh. "You've met him. He's…"

"In love with a skunk-cat."

"Yeah. I wasn't too thrilled when I found out … all of it."

"She's nice at least," James admitted.

"She is," Scott agreed. "But I promise, James, you're not going to find out that your dad is secretly some space pirate renegade-"

"No, I know," James said. "He's gone. Pretty clear. If he wasn't … they'd probably be using him in some weapon program."

" _No_ , James. If he wasn't gone, he'd be right here, because there is no force in the universe that could keep him away from you, let alone your _mother_." Scott smirked. "She _growled_ at me when you were little and I was hogging you. She had an intense mother bear reflex."

James smirked, but there really wasn't any joy to it. "Okay. I won't ambush you with anything like this again."

"James, you know you can ask me anything, anytime. And even if the answer is 'not yet', I'll tell you that too," Scott swore. He took James' face in his hands. "You kids mean the world to me. There is nothing you can do that will make me love you less. You know that, right?"

James shrugged at that and let his gaze drop to the floor. "Okay."

Scott smiled and tried to redirect into something a little lighter for James' sake, knownig perfectly well what he was feeling since he'd felt that way himself when he was a kid. "Um, no, the answer is 'of course I know you love me, Dad! Just like I know Rachel and Nate are dirty little eavesdroppers!'"

"You sound like Jan."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Scott said.

"You should," James said. "You've been smiling more. It's nice."

"I'll try to do that more," Scott promised. "I've got three great kids - I should be celebrating all the time when you're not getting chickenpox, right?" he teased lightly.

"Or getting in trouble," James said.

"Oh, no, you never get in trouble," Scott said.

"Su-ure," James said, frowning.

"Nate _never_ ends up in the principal's office. Rachel _never_ flirts with boys I don't approve of. You _never_ hit me with zingers I can't come back from…"

"Seems like a whole different level of trouble for everyone," James said. "And I thought you'd hear about other stuff. Not just … my stupid questions."

"They're not stupid questions," Scott promised. "You want to know about your parents. Nothing stupid about that."

"Kinda stupid."

"No, stupid would be if you wanted me to explain why, say, Alpha Flight kept trying to win him back when _clearly_ I was the superior team leader," Scott teased.

"Um …that's because they had a guy that went by 'Puck' on the roster. They needed something that sounded more intimidating."

Scott laughed outright. "See? Ask a dumb question, get an obvious answer!" He ruffled James hair. "Come on. Your brother and sister are probably getting in trouble without us level-headed types."

"They'll stub a toe trying to run from the door."

Scott grinned crookedly. "Race you."

As expected, both Rachel and Nate scattered when Scott and James hit the door, but they weren't quite quick enough to pretend they hadn't been eavesdropping - especially since Scott had been sure to _actively_ block Rachel so she couldn't see his thoughts when James had brought up what had happened to break up the X-Men. So the kids still had questions, but from Scott's perspective, they were still well-insulated from it all.

"We… we were... um…" Rachel floundered for an excuse.

"Watching the Avengers on TV," Nate said helpfully, pointing at the news broadcast. "Because Jan is totally taking down Hydra. With some help."

"Best Avenger," James said. "Least nosy, anyhow."

"I dunno," Rachel said. "I kinda like-"

"If you say Thor, I'm gonna puke," James said.

" _No_." Rachel turned bright red.

"Lie." James pointed her way without looking at her as he and Scott started to watch the broadcast.

"I don't see what the big deal is," Nate said, rolling his eyes. "All the guy Avengers are blond or stupid."

James frowned. "I think … you might be looking at another team. The non-blond isn't as stupid as he makes himself out to be."

"He's been _pretty_ stupid lately."

"He's been _nice_ ," James said.

"He's nice to _you_ ," Nate said. "He makes weird noises around Jan and Dad."

"Well yeah," James said, shrugging. "Totally jealous."

"This conversation is going off the rails," Scott said, shaking his head. "Rachel, I think we need a movie. Can you pick something out?"

"You don't wanna see Jan?" Rachel asked, one eyebrow raised.

"I do want to see her - in this living room, in person," Scott said with a smirk.

"Dad's in love," Nate said, making a face.

"And Tony's jealous," James added.

"Boys." Scott gave both of them a look - not that it was going to stop them.

"You told us not to hold back from telling the truth," James said.

"I did, didn't I?"

James gestured with both hands, and Rachel fell apart giggling. "Got you there, Dad."

Scott shook his head at all three of his kids, but before he could come up with anything to say, the news caught a flash and a sound that Scott recognized, and he froze as he saw the aftereffects of the localized EMP playing out on the screen.

The camera was far enough away from the EMP to still be playing footage, but Iron Man had taken a bad hit and dropped - though the armor had crash safety measures in place… What was more concerning was that the last Scott had seen of Jan on the screen, she had been level with Tony, and at wasp-size, that was too far a fall.

The news crew hadn't picked up on it yet, not when Tony's was the more obvious fall. But Scott hadn't seen the countermeasures he knew Jan had… There was supposed to be a chute… Maybe it had deployed off-camera…

"Get your coats," Scott said, already headed for the counter to grab his keys. "Right now."

Not one of the kids was going to argue when they heard the tone Scott was using, and they followed him out the door and to the tower. Scott had a passkey for the place - an open invitation from the Avengers if he ever decided to take them up on the many offers to move the family - so he let himself in and then started to pace, not even hearing Jarvis telling him that he could wait somewhere more comfortable. He didn't hear anything Jarvis said until "they're on their way," and then he simply nodded and sat down by the medical wing.

Less than five minutes passed before the first wave of Avengers made it back - with Tony and Jan being rushed in first - and medical personnel had been waiting to dive in the moment they showed up. But that only meant that Scott and the kids got the front row seat (or close to it) to hear everything that was going on beyond the doors.

Neither of the injured Avengers were doing well, but the doctors were a bit more panicked with Jan than Scott was ready to hear. And when it was clear Scott wasn't _moving_ , it was Clint who got the kids' attention with a hand on the boys' shoulders.

"Hey, the docs are the best in the biz," he said. "She'll be okay."

"She better be," James said quietly.

"Yeah. Well. Looks like you're staying the night, so why don't you come upstairs, I know Katie will be happy to see you, and Lexi will probably tackle you…" Clint was already trying to steer them away. "I promise I'll let you know as soon as the docs tell us we're out of the woods, but we can't do anything right now, okay?"

"I'm staying with Dad," James said, setting back on his heels.

"Me too," Rachel said in a breath.

"It's gonna be a few hours in surgery, guys," Clint said.

"That's okay," James said. "We'll be fine."

Clint looked between the members of the Summers family and realized pretty fast it wasn't an argument he could win. All three of the kids were just as protective as Scott was; he knew that from experience.

For a few minutes, it looked like the kids were just going to sit with an unresponsive Scott, but ten minutes in, Scott said, very quietly, "You can go. It's alright."

"Okay," James said, crossing his arms as he settled into his chair better.

Scott let out a breath and then almost absently kissed the side of James' head and gave him a hug without taking his eyes off the door to the medical wing. And with that, Clint quietly backed away to leave them waiting - and to tell the others what was going on with the family keeping watch.

Clint didn't return to check on them himself, but he did send Natasha down to see the level of stubborn going on with the kids and to see if she could at least get them to break away for a few minutes - or to rest.

 _We're staying with Dad,_ Rachel projected to Natasha before she could even begin to say anything.

 _It's going to be a long wait,_ Natasha said. _Maybe you could-_

 _No, we're staying with Dad,_ Rachel said. _Because if something bad happens, he needs us._

Natasha let out a sigh and then nodded. "If you get hungry…"

"We've been here before," Nate said. "We got it."

"I know," Natasha said gently. "But your dad looked like he needed the reminder."

"Our dad can hear you just fine," James said. "We're all fine. If anyone gets hungry, I know my way around. I'll take care of it."

Natasha smiled softly, unable to stop herself when James sounded so much like Logan. "I know you will."

The little group stayed right there, every now and again interrupted by one Avenger or another that was checking on them. Which was expected, of course. But every time, it was the same response - and the little family only seemed to regroup better as interruptions continued.

Finally, Hank came out of the double doors Scott had been watching so closely. "I thought for sure you'd find somewhere more comfortable to wait," he said.

"How is she, Hank?" Scott asked - which was the first sign of life the kids had seen from him the whole time.

"She's stable," Hank said. "She had a hard fall, and her chute slowed her descent enough to keep it from being much nastier."

Scott waved a hand. "I know that part. How is she?"

"She's asleep still, so she's not in pain, but she broke several bones, punctured a lung _and_ her liver. She will heal, but she'll be stuck in bed for a while. If you'd like, I can take you to her - though I wouldn't expect much conversation for a while still."

"I just want to see her," Scott said in a breath.

"Of course," Hank said, stepping back to the double doors and pushing them open for him. He led the way, noting to himself how anxious the kids looked as they kept up all the way down to where Jan was - all cleaned up and hooked up to almost every piece of machinery available to monitor her as she slept on. She had bandages on her head and her arm, and one leg was in a cast, but the machines showed that she was breathing easily and steadily, and her heart was strong.

For just a moment, Scott paused in the doorway before he stepped inside and rested a hand on her arm, watching her for a long time before he simply sank into a chair beside her and leaned forward, resting his head on his arms crossed over his knees. They didn't hear much when his shoulders started to shake, but the kids all looked like they didn't know what to _do_.

The three of them didn't discuss it, and they didn't look like they'd thought about it at all before every one of them simply made their way over and did their best to wrap Scott up in a wordless hug, staying there until Scott gathered himself up enough to sit up and pull them in so he could hold onto them, too.

Hank backed out slowly, leaving the group of them to their own devices, and he was glad for it, too, since he couldn't possibly have been expected to speak with the lump in his throat, let alone to be eloquent about it. With a very heavy heart, Hank headed toward the upper levels of the mansion to let the rest of the Avengers know not only how Jan was but how Tony was faring too, though he was in a little better shape since, even dead, the armor had all kinds of shock absorbers and redundancies in place for just this kind of emergency.

But Hank wasn't expecting the assault when he turned the corner to head toward the living room and Katie came barreling toward him.

"Dr. Blue, where's Nate?" Katie demanded, climbing up his fur until he picked her up.

"He's with his father and his siblings," Hank said, snuggling into her for a moment. "You're getting a little big to be scaling me, I think." He tapped the end of her nose. "But don't ever stop."

"One day, I'll be tall enough to take you down with a tackle instead," Katie told him.

"I await that day," Hank said. "But until then, I'll just have to make do with losing handfuls of fur."

Katie grinned at him crookedly, though when he sounded a little hoarse with emotion, she cocked her head to the side. "It's alright. Jan and Tony're gonna be fine. That's what my mom and dad say."

"I know they will," Hank said. "I've been taking care of them myself. Of course they will."

"Well, how come you're sad?" Katie asked. "You've got a wet spot on your fur." She touched the fur just under his right eye. "So… you can't hide it."

"I'm simply unused to seeing my oldest and dearest friend so upset," Hank said. "Though it's also quite rare for Ms. Van Dyne to find herself so injured."

"Dad said it was pretty bad," Katie said with a slow nod.

"It was, for both of them," Hank said.

"My daddy gets pretty upset when Mom gets hurt, and I caught Mommy crying when Daddy got shot a couple weeks ago," Katie said. "Mom says it's part of being a 'Venger."

"It can be," Hank said.

"So it's okay to cry if you gotta. Dad says you can let it out, and then you can be okay when you're done and get right back up and give the other guy a black eye."

"I'm afraid there's no one to give a black eye to," Hank told her as he gave her a little squeeze.

"Oh, well, then that's just a job for hugs," Katie said, snuggling in tightly.

"It is," he agreed. "And when the Summers kids finally come upstairs, I hope you'll be sure to give them the hugs they need."

"Oh yeah," Katie promised. "I'll get all of 'em. Even Nate."

"Somehow, I heard that Nate would be at the top of your list," Hank teased.

Katie scrunched her nose up. "Um, he's a _boy_."

"And a cute one at that."

"Okay, you can think that, but _my_ daddy says if grown-ups think kids are cute, you gotta kick 'em in the balls if they get fresh."

Hank burst out laughing at that. "He's completely right, but I meant he was cute to _you_. You seem to worry about him more than the other two."

"Um, yeah, 'cause of he's my best friend. We're gonna get married."

"You wouldn't marry him if he wasn't cute, would you?" Hank asked with a smile.

"Yeah, I guess," Katie said. "Mom says everyone is pretty, though, and I shouldn't pick on anyone for looks or nothin,' so I try and think everyone's cute."

"There you have it," Hank said.

"What about you, Dr. Blue? Do you think someone's cute?"

"Are you trying to play matchmaker, Katie?"

"Well, you're askin' about Nate, so my dad says turn-bout's fair play."

"It is," he said before he set her down. "Why don't you work something out with your parents to have some food ready when they come up? It probably won't be too long."

"Okay," she said brightly, giving him a wave before she skipped upstairs.


	18. I Can't Do This

It wasn't really until late the next morning when Jan finally fluttered her eyes open, and when she did, it was pretty clear she was hurting.

"Hey, you're alright," Scott said, though his voice was gravelly, and he was still wearing the same clothes he'd been wearing the day before. At least he'd managed to talk the kids into going to _bed_ instead of sleeping in the medical wing with him - even if James had made a point to check on Tony before he'd allow Natasha to take him away from the medical unit.

"Are you?" Jan asked quietly.

"Fine," he said with a quiet shrug.

She smiled lightly. "I'm sorry I worried you."

Scott nodded and put his hand on her arm. "Yeah," he said in a breath. "Yeah, don't… do that."

"Roger that," she said, nodding once.

Scott watched her for a long time before he couldn't stop himself from reaching out to brush some sweaty hair from her face. "So, Hank says you're grounded for a while. In case you were wondering."

"I so earned it?" Jan said. "It totally wasn't my fault, and I didn't get the plate number on that guy, but I'll take it."

Scott smirked at that. "You know, if you want, you can stay with us while you're stuck being a civilian."

"Are you sure?" Jan said. "I'll bet I can pay someone to take care of me if it's too much."

"Jan, I've seen James through just about every childhood illness on the planet, not to mention all three kids have had their share of broken bones-"

"And you're saying you miss that," she teased.

"I'm saying that even if I'm not in the business anymore, I never got out of practice on _this part_ ," he said.

"I know, I just … don't want to make you think I _expect_ it, you know? And I know your space has to be a thing with the kids, and it's a big imposition. I know it is." Again, she was picking up steam the more she spoke. "Idon'twanttopush. Or assume… or..."

"You're not pushing," Scott cut in. " _I'm_ the one making the invite."

"Really?" she said, double checking again and almost wincing. "You're not going to decide I fell off a building to get your attention?"

"Jan, if you fell off a building on purpose, we're going to have problems, because I don't think I can _handle_ that," Scott said, one eyebrow raised.

"I didn't," she swore, then winced a little from moving too quickly. "I was trying to be funny ... "

Scott let out a breath and then leaned in to kiss her forehead. "I know. Sorry. I just… you scared the hell out of me."

"I'm sorry; I scared me too."

"Let's try not to do that anymore, huh?" Scott said, smiling lightly.

"Yeah, totally worst decision of the week."

"And that's including the bad sushi on Monday that we were feeling until Thursday…"

"That was _totally_ not my fault either."

Scott let out a breath of a laugh and kissed her. "Oh, sure. You weren't trying to poison me at all. I've heard that before."

"I'm really not the poisoning type," Jan said.

"Spoken like a true evil queen…" He smiled and cupped her chin. "I'm just glad you're alive, Jan. Really."

"Me too, and for the record? Best wake up in the hospital I can remember."

"Let's not make a habit of it."

"Cross my heart," she swore.

* * *

For the next couple of months, the Summers family had something almost like normalcy. Jan stayed with them through James' birthday, which she loved, and all the way through the Christmas Break, too. Not only Scott but all three of the kids were spoiling Jan with their attention, too. It was starting to really feel … comfortable for everyone involved. Every one of the Summers family was relieved to see her doing better - and the kids were happy to see their dad smiling again as he took care of Jan.

It was fun for Jan, too, because she got to see the four Summerses at work, balancing Rachel's schooling, James' tutoring, and Nate's sports all while never making her feel like she was a burden.

It was honestly hard for her to think about going back to the team when she was enjoying playing house - but she _loved_ being an Avenger, and she really did want to go back to it now that she was back up to speed.

The problem now would be telling Scott.

She _knew_ he hadn't taken it well when she'd been hurt. Clint had been pretty clear on that much when he'd helped her pack up her things so she could stay at the apartment for a while. She knew Clint was trying to watch out for her, and she appreciated it, but that was a heavy thing to have hanging around her neck.

It was just… she really did love being part of Scott's life. Especially now that she had a full-time part in their lives. She could have stayed there forever helping the kids with homework, playing house, and curling up with Scott while the kids were all gone. She really could have. It was the instant family she'd longed for.

It was that much harder for her when she thought about how he might take it. Especially when she came out of the bedroom and Scott was sitting at the table at his laptop looking over the school schedule for Nate so he could find a good time for Alex to visit again - he and Lorna had "news" that _probably_ meant a little one if how cautious Lorna had been acting at Christmas was any indicator. It was all very… domestic.

"So, I talked with Steve, and he says it's totally fine if I want to keep living here. I can still be on the team even if I'm not in the tower. I mean, Clint and Natasha live here most of the time too, so if you're - I mean, I don't want to assume anything _permanent_ , but like, I sort of need to figure out if I'm living with the team again now that I'm back up to snuff…"

Scott frowned as he looked up from his laptop. "Are you sure?"

"Well, yeah," Jan said as she dropped into the seat nearest him.

"So you're rejoining… are you sure?" Scott asked again, his voice a little tighter.

Jan frowned at that. "I never quit, Scott. I just had to heal up."

"Right. I know. That wasn't…" Scott shook his head and held his breath. "That didn't come out right."

Jan reached over to rest her hand on his wrist. "You can take your time thinking it all over, and this has been fantastic, so don't think I'm trying to push for something more permanent or anything. And I'm _not_ running away. It's just - if you want me to go back now, I get it."

Scott shifted his hand so he was holding hers. "It's not anything like that..." He paused, and she could see him make an honest effort to take a deeper breath. "I'm sorry, Jan. I'm a mess."

"We all are," she promised, giving his hand a little squeeze.

Scott nodded. "I want to ask you to stay," he admitted.

Jan lit up on hearing it. "That's great!"

"No, Jan, I-" Scott closed his eyes for a second and let all the air out of his lungs. "I can't. I can't handle it. I can't take a chance to lose anybody else."

"I'm fighting to keep them safe," Jan said quietly, her smile completely gone by that time. "You know that, right?"

"Jan, I _lived_ that," Scott said in a breath. "From the day that we started the X-Men, that was my life."

"I know; I'm not saying you didn't. I just … the job isn't done yet."

"It never is," Scott said. He let his gaze drop. "I still believe in it, you know - the professor's dream."

"Of course you do," Jan said gently.

"But I can't … this isn't my fight anymore. God, Jan, I couldn't - when you got hurt, I couldn't even _breathe,_ and it was just like-"

Jan stared at him for just a moment before she darted forward and stole a kiss. "It's okay. I know. I get it. Family has to come first."

"You're still part of mine," Scott clarified, looking positively miserable as he ran his thumb over her knuckles. "I'm just not built for your life anymore."

"Which is a big part of why I _can't_ stop," she told him. "You shouldn't feel like you have to pick …"

"I know. And I know I can't ask you to," Scott said. "Which is why I won't."

"This has to be the dumbest reason to split up," she said as she wiped away the tears brimming at her lash line before it could wreck her mascara. "But I get it. I just don't want you guys to disappear on me, either."

"We're not going anywhere," Scott promised. "Nate likes his school too much, and James is doing well with the tutors. And…" He let out a breath. "Look, maybe one of these days I'll figure out how to breathe."

Jan nodded almost enthusiastically at that. "I hope so. That's not how I want to take your breath away."

Scott couldn't help but laugh at that. "I love you, Jan, you know that?"

There wasn't any warning before Jan launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders to hold on tight. She _had_ to to keep from completely bawling on the spot, after all. "Love you too."

* * *

Considering how well things had been going between Jan and Scott, Steve thought when Jan showed up at the tower that she was there to grab the rest of her clothes and other things for a more _permanent_ stay. And he was absolutely thrilled for her and ready to congratulate her - until he saw the look on her face.

"Jan, what happened?" he asked, at her side in an instant with a hand at her elbow.

"Oh, just … that's it. That's all."

"What?" Steve stared at her. "What are you talking about?"

"We called it off." She shrugged her shoulders up in a motion that didn't look natural on her at _all_.

" _Why_?" Steve led her somewhere she could sit down, still looking like the rug had been pulled out from underneath him.

"Cause we love each other, and we're going two different directions, and it just isn't gonna work," she said in a rush before she started to cry.

Steve didn't really know what else to do, so he pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, Jan. We were all pulling for you both."

"He just can't take _anything_ to do with a team. I thought it was just the X-Men that had him upset, really! But I don't blame him; he was _so scared_ when I got hurt …"

Steve frowned harder when he heard it. "Is _that_ what… Jan, I'm so sorry."

"I mean … I kinda should have seen it coming. Really. I should have."

"No, how could you have?" Steve asked.

"Steve," Jan said, stopping to look him squarely in the face. "He's _so_ not even close to over what happened to his team. _At all_. All the warning signs were there - he didn't want to be spotted too close to the tower when we first got started. I should have seen it!"

Steve let out a breath. "I don't think any of them are over what happened," he had to admit. "Hell, Jan - we're not over what happened to them."

"Yeah, but it's so … it's different for him. It is." Jan shook her head. "You'd have to really be around him a lot to understand it. But it wasn't the same for him as it was for the others."

Steve nodded quietly as he thought it over. "It's hard to lose someone you _led_ ," he said, thinking of the war and Bucky and everything he'd seen, too. "Especially when you consider them family, too."

"And I really think the only thing keeping him going is the kids. And you wouldn't believe the look he gets when Rachel does something little that is _so_ Jean, or when … well. Whenever James questions him about _anything_."

"You really love him," Steve said gently.

Jan nodded her head. "Which is why I won't stop the fight," she said, drawing herself up a little bit. "That's what happens if we turn our backs again. How many other people are just as crushed as he is?"

Steve smiled at that and pulled Jan under his chin. "There's the Wasp we all know and love."

"I'm not going to let those kids be afraid of keeping heroes in their lives, either," Jan said in an almost sullen tone. "We _have_ to do this. And they need to see it's okay."

"I had sort of assumed Nate would let the others in on that secret when his 'best friend' becomes the next Hawkeye," Steve said, trying to tease her into a better mood.

"Oh, sure," she said with a sniffle. "But all three of them are ones to watch. _Mark my words_ , they won't be content to be so …."

"Hidden?" Steve offered.

"Yes. Yes. That. Some of the questions coming out of those kids …"

"That actually gives me some hope for them."

"Keep an eye on what James is looking into," Jan said, pointing a finger at him. "He's a lot sneakier than the other two, even if he's more hesitant to cross Scott."

"That doesn't surprise me one bit," Steve said. He let out a breath then got to his feet and pulled her up with him. "But right now, one of my best friends just had her heart broken. And that's where my focus is. How many Hydra LMDs do you want to hit? I'll line 'em up for you and you can break Hawkeye's record. Again."

"Right now, I think what I really need is Natasha, some gelato, and a spa." Jan shook her head before she patted his arm. "No offense. I'll kick your trash around tomorrow."

"None taken," Steve assured her, one arm around her shoulders until they could find Natasha.

* * *

"Are you sure I can't convince you to stay in Bed-Stuy?" Natasha said for what had to be the fiftieth time. "You know my security is top notch; you'd have back up just one floor above you…"

"And Avengers dropping in, drawing attention …" Scott let out a breath. "I started paying attention, you know. After Jan was here for a while. It's just a matter of time before someone spots one of us and puts two and two together. Your security is great, Natasha. It is. But it's no substitute for as much anonymity as I can give these kids."

It was still fresh - the break up with Jan - and it had been obvious that Scott was ready to put more space between his family and the teams if he possibly could. At least, as much space as possible when Rachel was going to school in Westchester and James was still getting tutored by Stark's hires. The image inducer James was using to get in and out of the building was working, but no one knew how long that was going to last.

Natasha pursed her lips as she considered Scott's angle. "Then at least let me help you find a suitable place. I know that the very idea of changing schools has Nate pulling out his hair."

"The neighborhood is already too busy for-"

"There are other neighborhoods in the borough," Natasha said, cutting him off. "You'd still be close enough if you _needed_ help but far enough away to have your space. And the boys could keep their schedules _mostly_ intact."

Scott watched her for a moment, weighing out what she had to say. "You've been thinking about this already, haven't you?"

"I may have had a contingency plan in mind," Natasha admitted. "But selfishly, I did want to keep you nearer to us, so I also kept it to myself. It was nice to be near you four for so long."

Scott let out a breath of a laugh. "Alright. Show me what you've got."

What she had was a house in a reasonably well-to-do neighborhood with room enough for the kids to have their own rooms - and a view of Manhattan that made it possible for them to spot Avenger's tower from their living room if they opened the curtains. The neighborhood was clean - or at least as clean as Brooklyn could be.

"Quiet neighbors," Natasha said as they walked through the house. "Good area … fairly conservative, but I think you'll find that they won't take issue minding their own business. Mostly."

"Mostly?"

She shrugged lightly. "They're very religious. Don't be surprised if you get more questions about your faith than you do anything else."

"I'm not so sure that's a good fit," Scott said, though Natasha was already shaking her head.

"Don't be ridiculous," Natasha said. "I've looked this over more times than I care to admit, and this area is the perfect spot." When Scott didn't look convinced, she blew out an impatient breath. "Sentinels aren't _allowed_ in this neighborhood, Scott. The population here - they won't stand for anything even close to something that targets people based on their _genes_ or their familial ties. The area has strong political pull. None of the politicians on either side want to cross them, so they get more say than other areas. And … there are a few mutants in the area that enjoy the protection that this neighborhood provides."

Scott didn't look entirely convinced. "This is a little more advanced concern than just being mutants."

"And for anything even resembling special forces, you have me somewhat close - and ... "

Scott raised an eyebrow when Natasha let her sentiment fall. "And …."

"And … we're just a neighborhood over from where Steve lives."

"Ah."

"Hey. Everyone in the borough is proud of their local superhero," Natasha said with a crooked smile. "And they won't bother you. I'm sure of it." She bumped his shoulder with hers. "Besides … don't try to tell me you didn't want to see where Captain America grew up."

Scott didn't have any solid argument against it - and Natasha was very sure she'd seen the smallest smile tugging at the corner of his mouth - so before he could argue it, she made the call to get Tony to have one of his unconnected companies buy the place. By the time the ink was dry, and even before Scott could get the kids to really pack up anything, Tony and Natasha headed into the place wearing image inducers with his newest security measures to give them a serious upgrade before any of them had the chance to even step foot in the building.

When moving day finally came, though, Scott felt far worse than he'd prepared for when Nate was clearly heartbroken to leave the building in Bed-Stuy, even with Natasha promising that the apartment would remain their spare safe house.

Still, the little boy was dragging his feet as they made the trek to almost the other side of Brooklyn to their new place by the river. Rachel was there to help - and to set up her room - but neither she nor James seemed to react to the move at all, instead working hard to get the job done.

They'd barely gotten their second round of boxes from the truck when the first neighbor came by bearing welcome gifts and a broad smile, welcoming them to the neighborhood. Of course, it only took a look from Scott before James and Rachel started moving a little quicker to get things put away while Scott spoke with the neighbor - and they both were watching as the dreaded first questions came out, like they had any other time they'd stayed somewhere. It didn't matter if it was for a few days or for much longer; it was always the same. 'Welcome, welcome - where's your wife?' or 'When will your wife come by?' or one that was somehow worse 'What did she do that let you have custody of all three?'

And the questions were always repeated ad nauseam, with every single person that came through, so the Summers kids were preparing for a good few weeks of bucking their dad up after 'well-intentioned' neighbors came nosing around.

But this time, it seemed just a little bit different. And it was Scott who had noticed it, not the kids.

 _One time._ Just one time amid the dozens of neighbors that came by - just once did he have to answer anything regarding his MIA wife. Scott answered it as truthfully as he could - since even for him, the truth with a few tried and true omissions was a much safer route to take than a cover story. And his answer of 'she died a few years ago in a fire' was enough to placate neighbor number one … and no one else that followed asked about her at all.

Instead, the questions turned to the kids as they brought gifts to welcome the Summers family, and it wasn't long before the kitchen was stacked with baked goods and bottles of wine and honey. To be frank, the kids didn't know how to process it, and Rachel was shaking her head within the first hour. "If we're really going to live here, I'm going to have to learn _yiddish_ ," she said. "It's driving me nuts not knowing what they're all projecting toward us."

Scott smirked at her line of thinking as they sat down to their first meal together in the new place. "Is this for threat assessment or curiosity?"

"Both," Rachel replied truthfully, and Scott let the matter fall, though he couldn't help but be amused by Rachels commitment to nosiness. She really was so much like her mother sometimes.

It wasn't long after that, though, that one of the neighbors came by with a concerned look. "I haven't seen those kids of yours in school," said the woman, who, Scott realized, was a teacher at the closest school to where they were living. "Are they alright? Or are they in the Montessori?"

It took Scott a moment to answer, though he'd known that it was _possible_ for this to come up - it wasn't something he'd dealt with in Bed-Stuy, and again, a partial truth for now seemed to be the wisest route. "No, they're fine," he said, putting on a practiced smile - or close enough to it that most people wouldn't push for more. "My daughter is in a private school upstate, and my boys … well. My youngest wanted to stay in the school he was in before, so we're trying to keep him there for now. It's a few miles east. And my older boy … he's got tutors in the city."

"He's okay though, too?"

"Yeah, we just haven't been able to find a program to keep up with him," Scott reassured her. "He's tested off the charts, but I didn't want to put him in classes with kids that were a lot older than him. Tutors are a better fit."

She seemed relieved to hear it - just before she went on a bit of a rant about how much trouble it had been for her cousins-in-law who had a genius too - though that little girl simply skipped a few grades and got caught up in affairs much too old for her age. "You're doing the right thing, keeping that boy away from older kids like that all the time." She paused after she'd gone down the first two steps toward the street. "I hope your daughter isn't in a questionable place, though … those boarding schools can be _trouble_."

"I'm on good terms with the headmistress," Scott said, trying not to smile at his new neighbor's concerns. She sounded genuine - and perfectly prepared to impart her wisdom on him should he answer her questions incorrectly.

"Good," she said, pausing to nod to herself as if her job there was done - for now. "You know, if you're not busy, we always have room Friday night at dinner."

"I'll keep that in mind," Scott said, admittedly a little uncomfortable at how approachable most of the neighbors were trying to be. Whatever Scott was expecting out of this neighborhood … this wasn't it. But it wasn't _necessarily_ a problem, either. After all, even knowing that they had solid reason to hide and to keep away from trouble, he didn't want his kids to grow up paranoid and afraid of everything…. So maybe, if these people were being genuinely nice, it would let them have _some_ semblance of normalcy.


	19. Scott, You Need To Shave

For weeks after the big move, Scott was simply going through the motions. He barely spoke outside of what he felt was needed - and that mostly boiled down to making sure that homework was done, meals were served, and the kids were sticking to their new, slightly altered routine.

And over the course of time as they quietly tried to settle in, Scott seemed to lose the drive to do all of the day to day self care that he was usually so meticulous about. The most glaring example of such was of course the full, beautiful beard he was wearing.

A month in and his hair was shaggy, his beard was getting bushy, and he was still quite clearly mourning the end of the relationship with Jan. He couldn't watch the news with the kids around. Not without obsessing over it and scanning to see how Jan was holding up because of course, if she was upset, that was Scott's fault. She was healed up from all her injuries, but even that had him watching for her more, worrying about her. And pining.

There was a part of him that wanted to throw caution to the wind … but the wound from losing Jean was _still_ white-hot when he allowed himself to think about it. And now, when he was in the depths of depression nd trying to keep a stiff upper lip for the kids, it was like those early days back at the cabin all over again, but this time, the kids weren't as needy and that only meant Scott didn't have the busy work that came with three kids that still needed teddy bears and tucking in to keep him distracted from the ache in his chest.

Losing Jean had been soul crushing - the single worst moment of his life was the moment that their psychic link went silent. But that didn't mean that this wasn't enough to send him down a spiral too. And this time the spiral didn't involve losing the mother of his children - it was more about the doubts he had.

Doubts that he was teaching them the right thing by having them hide away. Doubts that trying to keep the separation between them and the teams was giving them the right message when he couldn't even think about hero work while he was doing everything in his power to keep them _safe_ and alive.

Doubts that he _could_ manage any of that when he was both no longer in possession of his powers while being a walking target with an x-gene that had no _use_ anymore.

If it wasn't for the fact that the kids all seemed to be thriving in their studies and _needing_ the time together with him on the weekends, he'd have rethought the arrangement all together. But that would once again draw down the need to have the Avengers intervene - and as it was, they were already overly involved in th safety of the Summers family. He couldn't ask them to move them already. And he couldn't take James from his tutors any more than he could take Nate away from the normalcy he'd found competing with Katie at school.

He was trying to get through the day. That's all he wanted to do, but he seemed to be stuck on just finishing his coffee. The day slipped by, as it so often did, and Scott seemed almost startled by the alarm that he had set to tell him that he had five minutes before he had to leave to get Nate. He'd set the alarm intending to get some work done while the kids were gone … but somehow, the day had slipped by him and instead of doing his usual rush to get himself together, all Scott could do was take his mug to the sink, dump the contents out, rinse the cup, then pick up his keys where he'd left them near the door on his way out.

He didn't bother with grabbing a coat. He wasn't driving anyhow, just … walking to the subway station down a few blocks so Nate wouldn't be riding home with an Avenger in tow when Hawkeye inevitably elected himself to step in and help.

It was bad enough that James was getting rides home from any one of half a dozen different Avengers, though Scott didn't know that James had been keeping to himself more while he was a the tower to avoid as much time with any of them as he could manage. And that meant that for him, the safest place to hide to avoid too much talk about _feelings_ was to stick close to Tony when he _had_ to be near the timing was such that Scott didn't _know_ that James had managed to talk them into letting Happy fill in to take him home more often than not so the Avengers could stick with keeping Jan upbeat.

And Scott was distracted enough that he didn't see that Nate was on his best behavior at school and at home - or that he had James helping him with whatever homework was giving him trouble just so he wouldn't bother his dad when he looked so forlorn.

They just didn't know how much he could have used that. So it only made things harder for those first few weeks in the new house.

He picked Nate up and walked home with him, lost in his thoughts to the point that Stark's upgraded eyes were the only reason he was able to pay attention to possible threats.

By the time all the kids got home, all three of them were convinced they needed to do something to help - they just didn't know what. And they _definitely_ knew that they couldn't get away with putting on anything with an X on it like they'd been talking about. Not with Scott as depressed as he was.

None of them expected Scott to more or less get forced into being more social when their neighbor showed up.

Nate blinked up at the tall man on their door - this was different, considering most of the well-wishers that were obviously both concerned and interested in their dad. "Um. Hi."

The stranger smiled at Nate warmly. "Hello, I'm afraid I need to apologize for not coming by to introduce myself sooner. Is your father home, young man?"

Nate crossed his arms as he looked the man over. "Yeah, he's in the living room. Who're you?"

"Rabbi Toby Cohen," he replied, still smiling warmly.

"Huh." Nate tipped his head to the side and then held up a hand. "Wait a minute - I'll go get 'im," he said. And then, characteristic of a little boy his age, Nate started yelling for Scott when he'd only taken a couple steps away from the door.

A few moments later, Scott got to the door, frowning slightly - though the rabbi couldn't have known that he was accessing his scans to make sure he wasn't armed. "I really appreciate all the well-wishing, but we're fine, really."

Rabbi Cohen held his hands out to his side. "It's a very nosy neighborhood, I don't know what to tell you." He smiled to himself. "But that's not why I'm here. Not entirely. I am your most negligent neighbor when it comes to playing welcome wagon, but I think that makes me your most honest one."

Scott smirked only the slightest bit. "Probably."

"Do you have a little time to chat, Mister Meuller? I have to admit, I'm not the kind to get excited about seeing what kinds of things people are moving in with. I prefer to get to know the people that are trying to mind their own business."

Scott glanced to Nate, and Nate nodded quickly, going to find his brother and sister so the three of them could find something else to do while Scott invited the rabbi into the living room. "There's not much to tell," he said. "Like you said: we try to keep to ourselves."

Rabbi Cohen waved a hand as he took a seat. "And most of what people would ask you answered already. I tend to watch the people in my neighborhood before trying to bother them. And you … are you alright?"

"We're fine," Scott said automatically.

"No, I know the kids are okay," the Rabbi said. "I'm asking how _you_ are. You haven't lived here more than a few months and already you can go on autopilot like someone who's been here their whole lives." He gestured to Scott openly. "And it's not a criticism, but that beard wasn't something you grew to fit in." He leaned forward. "It is a good look. It'd be better with some help though."

Scott paused, absently raising his hand to his chin. "We moved at a… rough time. That's all."

"Anything I can do to ease things for you?" Rabbi Cohen asked. "Or was it just that the closing happened too close to an Anniversary … or …"

"No, nothing like that," Scott said.

"Then I hope you forgive me, because you look like every grieving widow I've ever met who's going through a knot hole. I can't ignore that look. It goes against everything I am."

Scott frowned and then decided to fall back on his usual tactic: a little bit of truth. It was easier to keep the story straight that way anyway. "I tried to get back into dating. It didn't go well." He figured that would not only explain it - but might have the extended consequence of this rabbi asking the "well-wishers" to back off.

"I'm sorry to hear that. If there was some kind of signal I could light in the window for you to get the single women to stop, I don't know that I would."

Scott very nearly smiled; he could appreciate the rabbi's sense of humor. "At least you're honest."

"That's what I tried to tell you earlier," Rabbi Cohen said. "And also that the area is nosy - and that I can't ignore when a neighbor is in pain. So. We're all caught up. What are we going to do about it? We can't let you wander the streets looking so downhearted or the matchmakers will be beating down your door."

"So you're saying I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place here."

"I'm saying 'welcome to the neighborhood. You can use a friend - _what time is good for coffee_ '?"

Scott shook his head, an almost-smirk at the corner of his mouth. "You remind me of an old friend," he said, thinking of Kurt and the way he was persistently trying to instill faith and hope in his friends at their lowest points.

"I will go ahead and take that as a complement, but I still need to know what time to show up with coffee."

Scott shook his head again. "You're not going to accept a 'no', are you?"

"In this instance, I don't even know the meaning of the word." He shrugged. "Give it a chance. Worst case scenario, after a few times if you really can't stand my company, I won't bother you but to ask how the kids are."

Scott tipped his head to the side and then sighed. "The mornings are busy with the kids going to different schools. Your best bet is late in the morning, around ten."

"I'll be here at ten fifteen." He held up one hand as he got to his feet. "And I'll bring the coffee."

* * *

Winter was melting into spring, finally, and as Brooklyn and the rest of the city began to kick off their outdoor activities, the Summers family found themselves hosting the _other_ Summerses.

Alex and Lorna had finally come to visit - and they were radiating joy everywhere they went. Alex was his usual positive self and Lorna was even more cheerful and excited in spite of the obvious baby bump she was carrying.

"Hey big brother," Alex said with a grin as he pulled Scott into a tight hug, before Scott could even begin to address what he was seeing while Lorna pulled the kids over to say hello with bear hugs and lots of kisses. "Nice place."

"It's new," Scott said, blinking a few times before he smiled despite himself. "And that's not the only new thing. Boy or girl?"

"A boy," Lorna said, grinning with an arm around each of Scott's boys. "I think that's what my family does best this generation."

"Wanda's boys must be thrilled," Scott said, still stuck in a surprised smile.

"They are," Lorna said, beaming up at him with a grin. "Of course they are. They're _such_ sweethearts."

"I haven't seen them in a while. Send them my love, will you?"

"I'd rather you guys just came to _visit_ ," Lorna said. "Maybe when the baby gets here? August?" She grinned wider. "Please?"

"I… will think about it," Scott said. "But you have to talk to your father. Last time we were there, he was pushing for a more permanent stay. Again."

"Oh, Daddy just wants to help if he can," Lorna said. "He worries about you, Scott."

"We're alright," Scott said, absently bringing a hand to his recently-shaved chin. "The community here is supportive. Sentinels aren't legally allowed in the neighborhood-level supportive."

"I think he'd like this neighborhood," Lorna agreed before she pulled Nate over to kiss his cheek again - and made sure to leave a lipstick print just to watch him complain about it. "It's _lovely_."

"Aunt Lorna-a-a-a-a-a," Nate whined.

"Get used to it, handsome - _all_ the girls are going to want to kiss you!" Lorna told him with a delighted laugh.

"It's already started," Scott said with a dry smirk.

" _Dad_."

"If I'm wrong, I'll say so."

"It's true," Rachel said, smiling to herself at how much their Dad was already enjoying himself. "And Nate's in trouble _all the time_ with Katie."

"Rachel!" Nate tipped his head back and groaned. "How come _I'm_ in trouble?"

"I ask myself that every day," Rachel shot back, crossing her arms. "You're just like this."

Nate stuck his tongue out at Rachel, but he projected to her: _It's hard to get mad, because Dad's just… so… happy._

 _I know. And I think he's actually considering visiting them, too._ Rachel was grinning at him while she took her turn getting the treatment from Aunt Lorna and enjoying every bit of it.

Nate smiled. _I hope so. He's happier with Aunt Lorna and Uncle Alex._

 _Do you want to go?_ Rachel asked.

Nate paused. _Not… really. Magneto gets pushy, and he treats James different than you and me, and that doesn't feel right. James hasn't even gone for a long time. Which isn't fair; he's our brother!_

 _He doesn't want to go there,_ Rachel said. _He wouldn't go when we were smaller, either. I think he's kinda afraid of that place._

_So, yeah, I don't think Dad'll say yes because of James, but, like, Rach. He's smiling?_

_I know. It's nice._ Rachel turned to grin at her brother. _And don't say anything to James about Dad not going for any particular reason._

_Don't worry; I won't._

Before they could continue their conversation, Lorna busted them out. "Oh … I've seen that look before. Alex. _Alex_. They're talking privately. I'll bet it's about you and your brother."

Alex broke into a grin and spun Rachel in a hug. "You're _just like_ your parents. Both of them. Stop that," he teased.

"I didn't … we weren't talking about you!" Rachel laughed.

"Well, what else is there to talk about? I'm _clearly_ the life of the party. Or I _guess_ you could talk about my son. That's good too."

"What are you going to name him?" Rachel asked, knowing that her Dad wanted to ask, but hadn't found a good way to do that yet.

"It's the subject of some… discussion," Alex admitted, smiling over at Lorna. "We've got it narrowed down to 'Michael' and 'Christopher' - just didn't want to steal Scott's thunder, seeing as he gave Nate five hundred names and Christopher's one."

Scott shook his head at Alex. "I don't mind, you idiot."

"Scott, you know he's just like this," Lorna said. "He _wants_ to rile you. I think he misses when someone _else_ calls him a dork."

"Oh, good; I'm glad you haven't stopped," Scott said, smirking Lorna's way.

"I'd have to lose my mind to stop," Lorna laughed, then finally got away from the kids to give Scott a hug. "We've missed you!"

"You'll have to visit more often, then," Scott said as he returned the hug. "I've got three kids with three different school schedules. I feel like you have the easier time finding a minute."

"I know, but _summertime_ , Scott," Lorna said.

"Surfing's going to be great, too," Alex said.

"Come take my kids to the beach," Scott said. "Nate's going out for baseball. He wants to play every sport under the sun. Throw surfing in there…"

"Alright, I hear you. You're not interested in visiting. What about a joint family trip to Hawaii again?"

Scott actually grinned - something that Alex and Lorna didn't realize was as big a deal as it was. "Now you're talking."

"Alright then," Lorna said. "As soon as the baby's here and we can travel - something in the fall maybe? Doesn't have to be very long, just a weekend would do it. A _long_ weekend."

"Sounds perfect," Scott agreed. "I'm sure we can find a few days somewhere."

"Great!" Alex said, grinning wider as he came over to throw his arm around Scott's shoulders. "So bigger, older, much older looking brother … how about you fill me in on everything that's happened since Christmas?" He pulled Scott along into the kitchen leaving Lorna to make over the kids in peace - and she was thrilled to get them to herself, too - sure to pepper each of them with a dozen questions - and kisses, much to Nate's well hidden delight.

She made Rachel promise to show her around the school before she left - and she promised Nate to watch him play catch with Alex as long as he promised not to take it easy on him, of course. And she talked James into agreeing to take her to the botanical garden, since she was sure that asking to go to the tower might push the wrong buttons with those in charge _there_.

Lorna was a great fit for Alex, and she was bubbling with raw joy more often than not, but somewhere in the farthest reaches of her psyche, she _did_ buy into a lot of what her father said. She wasn't blatant about it, but she did have a healthy distrust of the Avengers after everything had gone south with them so often. The fact that Wanda and Vision had been on the team for so long hadn't really tempered her opinion of the organization as a whole. Especially when faced with Wanda's reasons for leaving.

So while Scott was cautious about spending time in Genosha, Lorna was almost as cautious about spending time in the city. Her concern however, was tempered by the confidence of someone who felt they were more untouchable than those around them. So it didn't show quite as vividly as it did for Scott. And she really did love the kids, so she wanted one on one time with each of them in their own environments.

Alex … Alex never did understand nuance, though. And he was very much like an overgrown kid himself most of the time, so for him it was always a simple matter of 'your house or mine'.

By the time the Summers brothers returned to the living room, Lorna had moved on to teasing Nate about how tall and lanky he was getting to be. "Are you sure you don't want to be a basketball player?"

Nate shrugged. "Maybe I'll try that next year. But I'm pretty good at football."

"American or everyone else's football?" Lorna asked.

"Yes," Nate replied with a crooked grin.

"You might have to teach Wanda's boys. They can't get a decent team to play. Either sport."

"Yeah, and that's why I don't wanna live on your island. Sorry, Aunt Lorna, but you don't have a good football team," Nate teased.

Lorna pulled him over to kiss his temple. "That's as good of an excuse as I've ever heard," she said. "I'll be sure to bring it up to Daddy. 'Not enough sports. Your country is lame because of it.'" She turned to grin at James. "What about you? What are we lacking for you?"

James didn't miss a beat or take any time to consider it before he answered with one word. "Snow." Which was of course, impossible to honestly _get_ for an island so near the equator.

"Boys my age," Rachel put in, since Lorna was looking her way.

"We have those, actually," Lorna said. "And you're not even related to them." She smiled at her. "I'll bet there are even some other telepath boys."

"Yeah, but she's got her _eye_ on someone at school," Nate said, grinning outright.

"So do you," James said, not letting the opportunity pass when Nate was obviously crushing on Katie.

"Um, no I don't," Nate said.

James stared at him without saying a word or blinking until Nate got frustrated - and only then it was only to say "Really."

"Really!"

James rolled his eyes at that. "Sure, Nate. _whatever_ you say."

Alex burst out laughing and pulled James over one armed to give him a hug. "You can't just bust him out like that, bud. He takes after my big brother too much. You'll _break_ him."

"It's literally the same thing he's trying to do to Rachel -only Rachel isn't flipping out and lying to herself about it," James said, which had Alex laughing harder.

"Give your baby brother a break, wouldja?" Alex snickered. "And let's order a pizza. That's something else about Genosha - they don't have much for pizza."

"Yeah, we can't live there then," Nate said. "Ever."

While Lorna did her best to act shocked and shaken - and got Nate laughing uproariously, Scott took a moment to pull his little brother into a hug. "Hey. Congratulations, really. I can't believe you didn't tell me sooner."

"She wanted to," Alex admitted. "But I really needed to see you in person with news like this." He looked over to where Lorna was doing a _fine_ job of keeping all three kids engaged with her, even going out of her way to snuggle on James as soon as she finally got a good hold of him. And while the two tucked in for a good bear hug, Alex took advantage of the moment for a little privacy and dropped his voice low. "I'll be honest, Scott … I think this is the scariest thing I've ever done. And that's including everything with the X-Men and taking on the North Shore."

"Alex," Scott said, smirking crookedly. "You've got this."

"I don't know-"

"What are you worried about? You grew up with a Dad. You know how it's done. You're amazing with my kids, and I'll bet you're great with Lorna's nephews, too."

"It's a little different when it's nieces and nephews, Scott. And yeah. My dad was … we had our issues, but he was there, yeah," Alex said as he stepped back from his brother, one hand at the side of his neck in a gesture that had to be genetic. "I wish you'd have been adopted with me, Scott. Mom would have loved you, and you would have gotten to know my Dad better. Probably would have had _him_ toeing the line." He smiled ruefully. "We're headed to see Haley next. She ought to get the same square chance to meet her nephew. And I know my parents are going to be excited to find out about their grandson. I just … I'm not good at stuff like this. Not like you."

Scott was honestly surprised by that, his eyebrows high as he took half a step back. "What?"

"Come on, Scott -you're a _natural_. How do you do it?"

"Alex … you'll be amazing. If Lorna didn't think you'd be great, there's no way she'd have let you-"

"Yeah, that … well it was kind of a surprise," Alex admitted with a troublemaking grin. "Her morning sickness involved levitating everything metal in the room."

"Alex … _stop_."

"See? This is what I'm talking about!"

Scott laughed and draped his arm around Alex's shoulders as he steered him toward the kids and Lorna. "You're going to be fine. In spite of being yourself. Relax and enjoy it."

"Yeah, Alex," Lorna said in a teasing tone that had Rachel giggling in spite of herself. "Did you order the pizza yet?"

When Alex paused, she sent the kids after him to tackle him - leaving her and Scott to handle being the logistics of the big crew.


	20. Home Sweet Brooklyn

"You've been running yourself ragged lately," Rabbi Cohen said as he took a seat at Scott's breakfast table. "More so than usual. What's the new drama?" The little family had been living in the neighborhood for a little over a year - and over the course of time, their neighbors had proven to be both friendly and patient with giving them a chance to warm up. When the little Summers family _hadn't_ joined in on any of the block parties in the first half-year of living there, the rabbi next door had taken notice. Especially since he'd yet to meet a kid that didn't join in an open party sooner or later. But these three? They seemed to be perfectly obedient and quiet - another little thing that had gotten him motivated to make friends with the family … to _check in_.

Even at that, it had taken Scott a while to warm up to him - though he was much more willing to trust the rabbi once he realized that not only did Rabbi Cohen know they were mutants but he knew _exactly_ who they were. And there hadn't been a problem with it. After they'd been living there for a year and there wasn't even a hint of trouble, Scott had warmed up enough to be social - and he could at this point even say he was friends with Toby Cohen.

So when he asked about the latest family drama, Scott just poured him some of the orange juice from breakfast because that was what he had on hand while the coffee percolated and sat down with him. "Nate's started soccer, and he wants to do baseball again in the summer," he explained. "He was pushing for hockey and football this fall, too, but I told him he's gotta slow down and do one at a time."

"That's good for him, isn't it? The soccer?" Toby asked as he reached for the juice.

Scott shrugged lightly. "It's _great_ for him. It's a lot for me when the other two are still doing private studies. And I have to look into the coaches."

"I thought your pretty red-headed friend was the one that liked to do all the digging," Toby said with a smirk.

Scott smirked right back. "She's busy right now. Her husband got into some trouble with some Russians again, and it's more time-consuming than anything else right now."

"So business as usual with those two, hmm?" Toby teased.

"You'd think they would figure out how to deal with small problems like that, but…"

"They're just too busy looking at the bigger picture," he agreed.

"Likely," Scott nodded.

"So, what's the big plan then, hmm? Are you going to keep running yourself ragged with all the sports now? Or can you get both of the boys to be in one place for more than ten minutes?"

Scott started to laugh at the suggestion. "James lasted _one_ practice."

"He doesn't look like the kind to give up that quick," Toby said.

"It wasn't that he gave up," Scott clarified. "But he disagreed with the coach's style and didn't like being bossed around with no explanation. If I'd let him keep going, he would have organized a revolution by the third practice."

"Did he _want_ to keep going?" Toby laughed.

Scott shook his head. "I think he went to support Nate, but even people who don't know him well could tell that thirty minutes in, he was practically shouting 'this is stupid' without saying it out loud. The fact that he went rogue partway through practice and took it on himself to try and run the field on his own was just the cherry on the cake."

"That's too bad," Toby said, shaking his head. "He could use something outside of just schoolwork."

"Believe it or not, he gets to play racquetball at the tower, and he likes to surf," Scott said with a smile. "Last time we met up with my brother, he took the kids surfing, and James is a natural."

"So what you're saying is that he likes _solo_ sports." Toby did a fine job of keeping his amusement controlled - but the expression on his face and the dancing light in his eyes gave away exactly how funny he thought it was.

"If you'd met his parents…" Scott shook his head. "I'm not even surprised."

"You're doing good by him," Toby said - always quick to hop onto that train of thought when the opportunity presented itself. "You've got good kids. That's your work showing through." He tipped his head slightly. "But … I have to wonder how they might act up in a few years as they get older."

Scott shook his head. "We'll see. Nate is already a handful; I don't want to think about the teenage years with him just yet. I'll go gray even faster."

"I'd imagine you'd be more concerned with how Rachel will handle things, seeing as she's almost there _now_."

"Rachel is at a school run by one of my oldest and dearest friends. She'd have to work _hard_ to get away with anything I'd disapprove of," Scott said with a quiet smirk.

Toby laughed at that. "I haven't seen her in a while now. Does she still come home on the weekends? Or is she getting more independent - so far from home."

"No, she still comes home on the weekends. She's actually been bringing back stories for the boys in case they decide to go to school there too. I doubt James will, since he's pretty well past most of the curriculum, but Nate might."

"Might do them both good," Toby said. "Spend more time around kids dealing with the same things they are." He paused and drew in a deep breath. "Of course … it wouldn't hurt if they wanted to go to one of our youth nights. We're not _recruiting,_ mind you, but … it's a safe place for the neighborhood kids to spend a few hours. It's _not_ in the open like the block parties that I know you're all allergic to."

"You know why I don't like those parties, Toby," Scott said in a sigh.

"I know," he agreed, nodding. "I hate to see them so isolated. Though your youngest clearly has a good handle on things if he's pushing for sports."

"He was too young to understand what happened," Scott admitted. "He was old enough that he can remember his mom, sometimes, but…"

"The other two _were_ old enough though," Toby said when Scott's sentiment faded. "And it shows."

"I know," Scott said. "I see it every day."

"You know, if your pretty lady friend is too busy to research, all of you are welcome to talk with me. It would be good to know where the kids stand, don't you think?" He shrugged, holding both hands out. "I'm sure she's already looked into my records or whatever, but she can look again if it makes you feel better."

"No, we already know about the college arrest when you were protesting," Scott teased.

"Then you know I can't keep my nose too far out of it forever when I know something's wrong." He leaned forward slightly. "Let me try to help."

Scott rested his chin on his hands clasped in front of him. "You know the kids flat-out refused to talk to any therapists, right?" Scott said slowly.

"After what you said happened with that nurse, I'm not surprised," Toby replied. "But I'm not saying to go down to the office. We can do this here. Just like this. It's not like I don't come by anyhow. It can just be us. No one outside of your house needs to know either way."

Scott was quiet for a long time as he considered the idea before finally, slowly, he nodded. "I can't promise anything, but I personally don't have a problem with you talking to them."

"That warms my heart," Toby said with a teasing smile.

Scott chuckled. "Hey, the fact that you know any of our story at all should tell you how much trust you've earned with me and mine."

"I can tell you - the stories the neighborhood has cooked up on how you got those scars is quite the adventure," Toby said. "Especially when your James gets dropped off by the little rotation he's got for rideshares."

"They _try_ to be discreet," Scott sighed. It was the one thing he hadn't been able to do himself - managing to get all three of his kids to where they needed to be at the same time. And while Steve was alright at blending in, Clint was _not._ And while Natasha was good at spywork, she ended up only making fuel for gossip when she came by.

"In any other area? They'd probably be perfectly fine. But you've got a whole neighborhood that's gonna be watching the single dad of three _anyhow_. Add to it that all three of the kids are good-looking, too … you're going to have trouble when they get a little older, that's all I'm saying. People are paying attention and interested in getting to know them better."

"Rabbi, are you looking to find my daughter a match already?" Scott teased.

"Not this week," Toby laughed - a constant tease between them. "Ask me again next week."

Scott smiled and shook his head. "The rumors don't bother me, to tell you the truth. It's actually helpful to have them flying around."

"Of course they wouldn't bother you. Most of them think you singlehandedly saved Captain America's life somehow," Toby laughed. "I'm not going to argue with them. Neither is he, apparently."

"To hear him tell it, he still thinks he owes the old team, so of course he won't argue it."

"Are _you_ arguing it?" Toby shot back. "Because it doesn't sound like it to me!"

"I learned a long time ago not to argue with Steve," Scott said, thinking of some of the fights he'd had with the Avengers when he'd been trying to get them to see how bad things were for mutants when all the Avengers cared about was the _way_ mutants stood up for themselves.

"When you were right and _Steve_ finally admitted it, you mean," Toby said just before there was a knock on the door.

Scott smirked but didn't confirm Toby's assessment either way as he went to the door, somehow not surprised to find one of his neighbors there - one of the women his age, and a widow herself, so she was always sympathetic. "Hello, Sara," he said.

"I just thought I'd check in and see how you were doing," Sara said. "I know the new semester started up, and I didn't know if you'd gotten the boys gathered up or not yet."

"They're doing great, thanks for asking. Nate's going out for soccer, and James has a new science project that's consuming his attention already."

"Oh, good," Sara said, smiling widely. "I hope they can get the time to spend an afternoon with the kids this weekend. Rebecca would love to see them, I know."

Scott smirked, knowing Sara's daughter had a crush on Nate and that Nate was completely oblivious. "We'll see. You know Rachel comes home on the weekends, so we try to dedicate that time to being all together."

"Yes, and it's wonderful that you're all so close," she said - absolutely genuine with every word. "Of course, you're all welcome to join us, if you haven't got anything set in stone."

"Thanks. I'll talk to the boys and Rachel and see what they had in mind and let you know," Scott promised.

Sara smiled wider. "Alright, well, you take care of yourself until then," she said. "Tell the boys I said hello."

"I will," Scott promised - and didn't wait longer than it took for Sara to be out of earshot from the door before he turned toward the kitchen. "Not a word, Toby."

"What would I say?" Toby asked, doing his best to look innocent. "I'm just here, temporarily deaf … enjoying my morning."

Scott shook his head, though he couldn't help but smirk. "Sure."

"It's not like she's _available_ or _interested_ ," Toby said, shaking his head.

"Toby…"

"I said 'it's not' …" He shook his head more insistently.

Scott chuckled and then picked up Toby's empty cup. "I think I need to go research coaches. You can play matchmaker somewhere else."

"You just tell me when I should come by to talk to those kids," Toby said. "One at a time, if you think we can't gather them up."

"I'll let you know," Scott promised.

"Then I wish you luck in your searches," Toby said as he got to his feet. "Incidentally - if you tell me who you're looking into, I can maybe give you what the word is from the neighborhood too."

"You know what? I'd really appreciate that."

* * *

Rabbi Cohen didn't have too long to wait for his opportunity. A few weeks passed, sure, but it was easy enough for him to see that Scott wasn't blowing him off when the day-to-day schedule was organized chaos - even with just the boys home. Early in the morning, Scott had to get Nate off to school - and since his school was in an entirely different area of Brooklyn, Scott took him there himself - at just about the time that James' ride came by to pick him up and take him to Manhattan, where he'd study and work on …. Lord only knew what. That was something that Scott had never been overly specific about.

From there, the house was mostly vacant until after school when, once again, Scott would get Nate … and a few hours later, someone would roll up to drop James off. At least, that was the _normal_ schedule.

Toby was over for a lovely mid-morning coffee with Scott, as usual, when the lock in the front door rattled and James let himself in.

"What happened?" Scott asked, on his feet in a heartbeat and already on his way toward him - ready to check him over for injury, which James didn't fight him on at all.

"Ah ... " James glanced over at the rabbi and censored the details out entirely. "Power's out in the building and half the block - and the back ups aren't working very well, so … I got sent home until they fix it." He set his bag down and slipped his shoes off at the door as he let Scott look him over. As soon as Scott was momentarily satisfied, the two of them started back toward the kitchen, though Scott was wearing a frown as he walked behind James, steering him to the kitchen with one hand on his shoulder. "Hi, Rabbi Cohen," James said with a little wave, then quietly took the seat Scott pointed at.

"What happened with the power?" Toby asked - mostly to see if James would share. "And am I going to read about it in the Daily Bugle tomorrow?"

"Maybe." James replied slowly, though he seemed to almost shrink in on himself in the chair. "They told me it was a bad experiment."

"Was it yours?" Toby asked, trying to tease him, but James was perfectly serious as he shook his head.

"No, my stuff is on an independent power source," James said, tipping his head down. "Less chance of it causing trouble if I screw up. I think it was something with my afternoon tutor." He looked toward Scott with a significant expression. "He tried to call, but communications are down too. They were scrambling to fix it when they sent me home." He slid his cell phone to Scott. "So I need to fix mine, too. I heard something about reversed polarities, so it shouldn't be a big deal, unless i damaged circuits."

"Then maybe you can take a few minutes to tell me about what you're doing up in that big tower?" Toby said warmly.

"O-kay." James nodded as soon as he saw the look on Scott's face - they'd discussed this as a possibility, and James knew that Scott wouldn't have brought it up unless he wanted them to do it, so … he drew in a breath and started to try and explain what he did. "It's really just tutors," James said uncertainly. "There isn't much to tell."

As soon as James was trying to halfway answer Toby's questions, Scott got up to leave them to chat while he dug into what happened at Avengers Tower to shut the place down.

He didn't have to search too hard for answers either, as there was a text from Stark explaining that they were still investigating matters, but it looked like it had been an attempt on _his_ life. Nothing that they'd found so far, including going through the creep's communications and correspondence or any of the taps Tony used to dig into the guy's connections, showed that they had _any_ idea that James was there … which at least meant that the image inducer he was using to go in and out of the building was doing its job.

But it also meant that for James' studies to continue - as a matter of paranoid security - they would have to happen either from the Baxter building or Clint's apartment building for the next week or so until Tony had given Natasha a chance to chase down every possible concern. It would screw up the usual flow for Scott and his boys, but … it also showed Scott exactly how paranoid Tony was being on James' behalf. Not that he was surprised. James had a standing open invitation from Tony to simply _stay_ there if he wanted or needed to, and it was clear the more time James spent with his tutors and with Tony that he was getting more and more attached. And lamenting not having simply _kept_ him instead of letting Scott take him back after he'd spent months with the kid.

And with a few hours to kill before Scott had to be at the field to pick up Nate from soccer practice and while James was tied up talking to Toby, Scott decided his time was best spent _helping_ dig in to what was known and what wasn't about the attack on the tower.

He already knew that Tony was going to shift the tutor to the Baxter building - if nothing else than to keep the trouble _out_ of Brooklyn and in close reach of a large contingency of superheroes that could dive in to help. And … it didn't hurt that James and Franklin Richards got along well enough. Though, Scott had to wonder what would happen if the two boys got competitive.


	21. Group Session

Toby Cohen had spent a little over a month taking little opportunities to chat with the Meuller kids next door. They were going by "Meuller," but Rabbi Cohen knew that it was the Summers family, not the Meullers. And only three of them were Summers by name, the fourth - well. It would be unfair to say that the rabbi wasn't worried about all four of them, but some of the behavior he was seeing from their odd man out _did_ have him watching even more carefully. He just didn't know how to explain to Scott what he was seeing without alarming him unnecessarily. And with Scott's stress levels, that was an entirely new level of balancing act.

James was, by all accounts, a _good kid_. And to the untrained eye, he was more than just a good one. He was _easy_. He didn't rebel against his family, and he seemed to approach everything with an attitude of quiet gratefulness that most people aspired to. However, it was the fact that James was totally unwilling to even consider going against the grain his family had established. And his motives as to _why_ that was so were of deep concern to the Rabbi. In the time that the Meullers had lived in the neighborhood, not _once_ had Rabbi Cohen heard a complaint about the dark-haired boy. Not only from the family, but the people in the neighborhood too. In fact, if he was going to analyze it, it seemed to him as if James was constantly conscious of everyone around him, always testing the waters of his family before saying or doing anything - purposely avoiding any topic that might upset his adoptive dad in particular. he was polite to a degree that Rabbi Cohen simply didn't see in kids his age - even in the strictest of families, and he knew that wasn't the case in Scott's house. The other two kids had little trouble rocking the boat with their father - even if it was minimal, they didn't seem to be purposely avoiding it like James was.

But Toby had been around for a few dinners with the family now - and though all the kids paid attention to the conversation, James was consistently quiet unless asked a direct question. Always. And when he did answer, it was always with the most direct answer that used as few words as possible. Which was intriguing since the boy was a genius.

Rachel … Rachel had clearly tried to do all her growing up at once. She seemed to be trying to take care of her father and her brothers - though James was careful to keep from being a bother to her, too. She had a kind of anxiety just behind her eyes that Toby couldn't quite put his finger on - but it was the kind of thing that was universally something that needed outside help to keep from blossoming out of control.

And Nate? Nate was the little rebel out of the three of them in the most amusingly normal way ever. Where else would you find a little boy that was arguing by wanting to be like everyone else? While Rachel was content to be a small adult and watch out for who she could and James was trying to blend in with the furniture as far as neediness went, Nate just wanted to be a kid.

There were three very different problems happening at the Mueller house. Every one of them needed a different approach. And every one of them was worrisome if left unchecked. Yes, Scott was the picture perfect father - and Toby knew he had the ulcers to back it up - but that didn't change the fact that there was no way for the Summers kids to avoid the numbers when it came to _risk_. For Nate and Rachel, having lost their mother so young was the gateway to anxiety and mood disorders right off the bat. Especially since Scott had obviously suffered from the same trouble himself.

What he didn't know how to explain was the fact that _Nate_ was at a higher risk for those troubles than Rachel was. It was something that even the most involved experts didn't quite understand yet, but it was an issue. The younger they were at the time of the loss, the more likely they'd have attachment issues, depression, or anxiety. Substance abuse issues and eating disorders weren't off the table, either. And while James was at risk for all of the same, the fact that he'd lost both of his parents and was showing signs of trying to fly under the radar _at his age_ to avoid conflict had the rabbi concerned that if the pattern continued, he'd keep tipping his risk factors closer and closer to self-harm and suicide.

And that was without knowing any of the fine details on _how_ the kids had lost their parents. Extended trauma the kids might have suffered, or how much they knew of how their lost parents were killed … all of it factored in, and none of it was easy to discuss. Had he known the details on what had happened to them - and what James had been there to witness, he would have been _much_ more alarmed for _all_ of them.

The lone glowing beacon of hope in the whole mess was how absolutely dedicated Scott was to those three kids. It was obvious he'd put his life on hold so he could be there for them at the drop of a hat. Toby had seen him interacting with the three of them. It was obvious that Scott knew where they kids were coming from, emotionally. And he knew how to support them and how to be there even if they looked like they didn't want it. That … that was the one thing that made Toby think the kids had a solid chance at being alright. _If_ their issues were addressed and the downward spiral was stopped before it became a tailspin.

But Toby wasn't sure of the best way to approach Scott with his concerns. Especially when some of the reasoning the kids were showing was a double-edged sword. Rachel had to take care of her father and brother because they were both so stressed out and needed someone to watch out for them … while ignoring that what she was trying to give them was exactly what _she_ needed.

Nate was trying to be the normal that the mutant family was pretending to be - by embracing it as fully as he could - and not realizing that he was almost making fun of how 'normal' he could pretend to be, even while he was spectacularly ahead of the curve in cleverness.

And how should he break it to Scott that his adoptive son absolutely hated when anyone called him 'lucky' for his family and his private studies because if he was lucky to have it, then his luck could run out - and that if the people in his life thought he was special and had picked him, it was just as possible for them to change their mind? It was just the tip of the iceberg with James, and the kid had been quick to shut down and get quiet when he thought he might have said something that would eventually upset Scott. Toby wouldn't even have been surprised if James had read up on psychology just to protect himself from the therapy that Toby was trying to help him with.

So Toby waited until he knew that the kids were going to be at their respective schools and that Scott would be free for a long while that day before he came over with coffee for both of them from the cafe down at the corner.

"I know you don't want to leave anything laying around for the kids to read," Toby said in a softer, more somber tone than what Scott was used to hearing from him. "So you're going to want to read the email I just sent you when they're not around. It's not about them specifically - but it is an outline of what I'm concerned with for each of them. And it's also a strong suggestion that you get them professional help sooner than later. If they can't trust a doctor, you know I'm more than happy to help, but they _do_ need the help."

Toby set the cup of coffee down next to Scott and took a seat. "I can stay here while you read if you have questions, or you can call me once you get through it. But, if it's all the same, I'd rather be here with you for clarity."

Scott didn't hesitate to open his computer and open up the email. He was completely silent as he read through what Toby had written, though Toby could see a muscle in his jaw getting tighter and tighter until he finally sat back in the chair and let out a breath. "I'll… talk to them," he said at last.

"And do what?" Toby asked, honestly not surprised at Scott's first reaction. "You're already doing all you can."

"Obviously not," Scott said, gesturing to the email with one hand.

"Scott, this isn't from anything you did or didn't do," Toby said. "This is just their way of coping. And they need help learning new methods."

"Then, yes, if you'd be willing… I can't even get Rachel to _think_ about a doctor, let alone the boys…"

"Of course I'm willing," Toby said.

"And… if you're not opposed, I'd like to forward this to a friend of mine. A telepath at Rachel's school. She could help too," Scott said, obviously working out a plan for himself to move forward as a back up if he couldn't get the kids to go along with Toby.

"Do with it whatever you will," Toby said. "I just thought that would be the easiest way to outline what I'm seeing and a good way for you to be able to go back _if you want to_ later..."

"I'll talk to the kids, too," Scott said. "James needs to know … and God, Rachel's doing the same thing _I_ did.."

"Apple didn't fall far, did it?"

"For any of them. You should have met Jean when we were young."

"From the sounds of it, you just need to point to which kid is most like her, and I'll try to imagine," Toby teased.

"You could look at either Rachel or Nate, depending on the day," Scott said with a fond smile at the corner of his mouth. "She wanted desperately to be normal when I first met her… but she couldn't help trying to nose into others' business to _help_ , either."

"I like her already," Toby said, perfectly straight-faced. "Just think of the team-up we could have run on _you_." Toby reached over to rest his hand on Scott's arm. "I meant what I said before, too, Scott. Every one of those kids of yours is an absolute _gem_. Best kids around. I just don't want to see them lost in their own heads or to get too carried away with bad choices if it comes up. They're not the tiny adults they _think_ they are."

Scott was quiet for a long time before he let out a soft sound from the back of his throat. "I could use the help," he said at last, thinking through his next words before he said, "Look, not many people know this, so don't spread it around, but I honestly don't remember much between the ages of ten and sixteen. This age… I'm flying blind."

Toby frowned and nodded, agreeing to it before fully grasping how literal Scott was being in the moment. "Is that a circumstances thing, a 'it's so long ago' thing, or just a matter of not being able to visualize where your head was?"

"Evil telepath," Scott said simply.

"Oh, sure," Toby said. "Should have known."

Scott smirked lightly. "I think if you'd known the X-Men in our prime, you'd know that's not even the strangest thing we dealt with."

"I assumed that it had to get wilder for as casually as you said the words 'evil telepath'."

"Yeah, believe it or not, that's the _mild_ description."

"I believe it," Toby assured him. "So … how do you want to move forward? Talk to the kids first? Then we can try to make it happen slow and easy? I know it won't be a simple matter of making an appointment. As soon as James thought something was off … your daughter, too. They got quiet fast and stayed that way."

"Why don't you let me talk to them, let me explain what I told you about this particular age not being my forte… I think, from what you've told me, if they think it's helping me…"

"Seeing a bit of yourself in some of what I gave you on them?" Toby asked gently.

"Hey, I'd be surprised if I didn't."

"Not a criticism, my friend. I didn't say there was anything _wrong_ with you." He got to his feet and brushed himself off - not that there was anything to brush. "Let me know when we start. Otherwise, good luck."

* * *

Scott took a few days to weigh out all that Toby had said to him - and to try to find a way to relay all of that to the kids. But before he could sit down to discus things, his usual routine was interrupted when he got a phonecall from Ororo - requesting that he make his way out to Westchester at his earliest convenience.

It wasn't a huge problem. But when he heard the tone in Ororo's voice, he switched gears quickly and made a phone call to Clint to see if he could take Nate home with Katie for a few hours if he didn't get back before the soccer game was over. He knew Nate wanted to spend time there anyhow, and once Clint heard there was a possible issue with Rachel, he not only agreed to take Nate, but he promised to have Natasha bring James home, too.

So without anything holding him back, Scott grabbed his keys, locked up and started the drive to Westchester. Nothing seemed out of place when he got there and the kids outside were in fine moods, enjoying a sunny day. So he wasn't sure how to process things when Ororo gave him a perfectly flat, serious look before leading him to her office where Rachel was bright red at the cheeks and waiting for him. "I'll give you two a moment," Ororo said, closing the door to give Rachel a chance to fess up to her father.

Scott paused and raised an eyebrow before Rachel let it out in a rush. "It was supposed to be a date, and I _know_ you think I'm too young, but I also know that you'll say that when I'm 40, but it wasn't a big deal until he _got … stupid!_ "

"What happened then?"

"I punched him," Rachel said, blushing brighter, somehow.

She didn't expect him to nod to himself with a quiet 'okay then' before he opened the door for Ororo to come back. The room was tense with silence as Ororo returned and took her seat at the desk, only looking up at Scott once she was comfortable.

"Scott, I'm sure you could have guessed that this was going to be an issue sooner or later," Ororo said to Scott as he took a seat next to Rachel - and across from Ororo. "And it's not that I think she should accept it, of course. But perhaps the next time this issue presents itself, you shouldn't retaliate for _just_ a thought."

Rachel's shoulders were shrugged up to her ears - not because she thought she was wrong - of course she wasn't. She just felt badly about her Dad being pulled out of his usual routine to deal with something so monumentally _stupid_. And she was _not_ the Summers kid to get phone calls over. That was _Nate_. This? This had to be the single most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to her. Ever. And that included when she caught Betsy and Angel making out. That … She blushed just thinking of it - and found herself desperately trying _not_ to think of it.

"Did she tell you what happened, Scott?" Ororo asked with the most clear cat who caught the canary look that Scott had seen in _ages_. "I'd assume that it would either be a point of contention or one of pride. Perhaps both."

"Just that the guy deserved it," Scott said, trying not to smirk at Rachel's description, since he had been the one to teach her how to deal with guys that tried to push her or got too handsy.

"Scott, all he actually did was kiss her good night," Ororo said, though she was barely doing a better job than Scott at controlling her smile. "And that's not an offense that is paid back by doing what she did."

Scott turned toward Rachel, one eyebrow raised. "Rach…"

"You don't know what he was _thinking_ , Dad," Rachel insisted, blushing high on her cheeks.

Scott let out a breath and rubbed his eyes. "Rachel…" He shook his head, still rubbing his eyes, before he finally looked at her again. "It's only the guys who _act_ on it that deserve to get laid out like that."

"But he was _thinking it_." Rachel stared at him wide-eyed. "Loudly!"

"Yeah, I'm sure he was," Scott said, holding her gaze steadily. "Every teenage boy does. It's the ones who keep it to _thoughts_ that matter. The ones who push? Destroy 'em."

" _But Dad._ "

Scott smirked and leaned forward. "Okay, Rach. What were _you_ thinking?"

"I was thinking it had been a nice date until he got all super-perv on me!"

"Did you kiss him first or did he initiate?"

She paused and thought about it for a moment. "What difference does it make?"

Scott smirked. "I'm just wondering if you even wanted to kiss him…"

Rachel blushed deeply as she turned his way. "If you try to say that this is my fault that he can't keep his _mind out of the gutter_ -"

"No, obviously not. I'm just pointing out that you were ready to be physical too, and he was only thinking about the future."

"But just a kiss! Not - _ugh!_ "

Scott let out a breath and leaned back in his chair. "He let the kiss end when you wanted it to?"

Rachel sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Yes."

"So he was just thinking about how he'd like things to go down the road?"

"Like a pervert."

"Rach…" Scott sighed and rubbed his hand over his face.

"They can't possibly think like that about everyone _all the time_."

"God, if your mother was here, she'd be laughing," Scott muttered.

Ororo had by that time, turned partly away from them and had one hand over her mouth to hide the feeble attempt at avoiding outright laughter. Especially since her shoulders were shaking from silent giggles.

"You're no help, 'Ro," Scott shot her way.

"She's thinking like a rational reasonable person, Scott," Ororo managed, though she was grinning broadly. "They can't possibly think like that all the time, can they?"

"Dammit, 'Ro."

Ororo gestured broadly. "I'm not a telepath, Scott. I cannot answer that with any _true_ knowledge."

" _Dammit_ , 'Ro."

Ororo entwined her fingers and rested them on her crossed knees. "Yes, Scott? I was under the impression that you'd have some wisdom to give your sweet daughter on this matter."

Scott gave her the driest look he could before he sighed and turned back to Rachel. "Look, what I told you about boys… all of that's true. If they start pushing you, deck them. But-" He sighed. "-look, you can't punish them for their thoughts. Lord knows your mother didn't do that to me or I'd be dead a hundred times over."

" _Dad_."

Scott smirked lightly. "What, did you think you sprang up from the ground fully formed?"

"I would like to think so!" Rachel almost shouted back.

"So you're telling me that when Jan and I were dating, you didn't pick up on _any_ of that…"

Rachel glared at him. "First of all - _no_ because you had the decency not to _broadcast it._ " She drew herself up. "Or did you _want me to know_ what you were up to?"

"I'm just saying: you're old enough to date now. That means you need to learn how to differentiate between what boys would _like_ to do and what they are _actually_ doing or planning."

She crossed her arms again and slouched in her chair. "I know what I'm gonna do …"

"Rachel."

"What?" She smirked. "I didn't _do_ anything. I'm just _thinking it._ "

"Well, now you sound like your mother, so I know you'll be _fine_."

By that time, Ororo was laughing outright. "Yes, I think she will be," Ororo said, wiping tears from her eyes. When she got a little better control of herself she turned to Rachel with a grin. "Off the record? I agree with you. They should keep their minds out of the gutter. If at all possible." She looked back to Scott. "If only they could discover how to do that at some point in their lives after they reach puberty, all the world would be more relaxed."

Scott gestured to Ororo with a smirk. "You saw my rebound taste. I'm no good for this talk."

"Yes. Every one of your rebounds," Ororo shot back.

"Then if you girls have things under control…"

"Yes, I think we should further discuss this in Salem Center, Rachel," Ororo said. "My treat."


	22. Spring Is In The Air, Apparently

Scott shook his head to himself most of the way back to the city after that little meeting with Ororo and Rachel. He couldn't believe that Ororo had managed to make him _defend_ the boy that kissed his little girl. But it hadn't taken all afternoon. And he had time to find a way to laugh about it during his drive. By the time Scott managed to get to the soccer fields where Nate was playing, the first games were already underway, and the sounds of referees blowing whistles on one field or another were easy to hear even from the road.

Rabbi Cohen was watching the games from the sidelines - having promised to show up for the game on behalf of several kids on the field. Nate had yet to take the field, but he was nearly bouncing in place waiting on his turn. When he saw Scott, though, Nate lit up like Christmas morning and waved enthusiastically at his dad.

It was a relief, frankly. After dealing with the uncomfortable situation with Rachel … and having the whole drive back to the city to mull it over ... an enthusiastic Nate was the _perfect_ break. Scott raised one hand in a muted wave - which was all Nate needed to puff his chest out and bounce in place - chomping at the bit to get out there and show off for his dad now that he was there.

"Everything okay with Rachel?" Toby asked as Scott stood next to him.

"Yeah … she took offense to a boy's thought process, that's all."

"Good for her," Toby said, nodding, though Scott was smirking and shaking his head at Toby's obvious misinterpretation.

"I'll tell you about it later," Scott said, his focus on Nate.

Toby did a little double-take. "Oh. _Oh_ ," Toby said, made a face, and then turned back to Scott. "Oh, that poor girl. You mean she hears …." Scott raised an eyebrow at him as he turned to face him. "... all the time?"

"Only if they're loud about it, so … yeah, I'd bet most of the time," Scott said, to which Toby made a noise at the back of his throat.

"It'll be a miracle if she ever dates a boy seriously," Toby said, shaking his head at all of it. "Poor girl … I mean, I know they all have to suspect how boys think, but still …"

"If it's all the same to you, Toby, I'd like to just … try not to think about that too much. Especially considering that one of my oldest and dearest friends is _far_ too entertained by all of it and has punished her by taking her out for ice cream."

"How is that a punishment?"

Scott sighed. "It's not. At all."

Toby chuckled to himself but didn't comment further as the game got underway - likely trying to think about what Rachel might or might not have 'heard'.

Nate was doing well right out of the gate, running fast and scoring and assisting with just about every play he was involved in. All while grinning broadly. It was even better, then, when, on the second game he played, he was squaring off with Katie.

Katie had her hair pulled back in pigtails and was also bouncing in place. "You gonna cry if you get your butt kicked by a _girl_?" she teased Nate.

"You gonna cry if you get your butt kicked by a _boy_?"

"No!"

"Exactly!"

The first few plays were _rough,_ and it was pretty clear that they were well matched - for now. But … as soon as the whistle blew, it was _on_ , and Katie wasn't taking any prisoners as she flat out ran Nate over. He got up quickly and gave chase, and the two of them fought hard - more or less ignoring their _teams_ as they concentrated on trying to beat each other first and foremost.

The ball went back and forth - and both teams were scoring - and every goal was accented by one or the other doing their best 'in your face' that had been recorded in kids that age. But during the final showdown, Katie was more than ready to _go_ , and she zipped past him, leaving Nate not only stunned but determined not to let it stand, either.

Which meant the kiddie soccer game was getting far more cutthroat than either kid's coach was prepared for.

Nate had just caught up to Katie and was running level with her, but as soon as he pulled ahead enough that he could kick the ball away from her, she faked him out, dribbling the ball backwards so it was behind her feet and Nate kicked air instead - with enough force that he went flying.

Katie burst out giggling and then ran with the opportunity, all while Scott could see _exactly_ what words Nate was muttering through mouthfuls of dirt and was _not_ happy about it.

Nate brushed himself off and went back into the game, though much more sullen and less smiley than before. But time was running out - and he was more determined to keep from letting her get another goal in, even if neither team scored again. He was angry with himself for not seeing the set-up as Katie pulled it - and more angry with himself, once the game was over, that he let it mess with his gameplay after the fact.

He was just getting a good scowl on when Katie bounced over with a grin. "Good game," she said before she very quickly kissed his cheek and then headed back for Clint, leaving Nate staring after her and Scott shaking his head with a grin.

"We need to have a word about your boy," a deep and rich voice said - from just behind Scott - and the angle was such that he knew without turning that this guy was _big_ and tall.

It was such a shock that Scott's first reaction was to take a defensive stance, though he also switched the visual on the bionic eyes Stark had given him to scan for anyone else in the area and to quickly realize that at least this guy was alone.

Though when he turned to see Luke Cage, he almost repeated Nate's words - which would have only cemented the kid's problem - before he caught himself. "Give a man a heart attack."

"All I've done so far is say hello," Luke defended with his arms crossed. "But like I said: we need to talk. And I came all the way out here from Harlem to do just that. Your business if you go and have a heart attack about it."

Scott shook his head. "Whatever Nate did-"

"Wrong boy."

"Seriously?" Scott straightened up. "What did _James_ do?"

"You mean aside from kissing my daughter?" Luke asked - a little louder than he'd honestly meant to. "She was _supposed_ to be getting help with her little science project, but if this is what your boy considers _help_..."

"...what?" Scott couldn't come up with a better response. James had _never_ gotten into trouble, and he hadn't even seemed _interested_ in flirting with any of the girls in the neighborhood… Scott shook his head as he thought about it - and realized that even if he wasn't flirting with the neighborhood girls, all of the Avengers that had kids close to his age were bringing them to the tower - and at one point or another, _most_ of them were going to him for tutoring help.

Jessica Jones was laughing a few paces behind Luke, and Dani was behind her, arms crossed and not looking amused one bit. All the while, Jessica had one hand over her mouth to keep it from bubbling out too much, but still … "I told him it was her idea," she said, with Dani echoing 'it was!' before Dani shook her head and ran off to hear how the game went for Katie. "But Luke can't seem to believe his sweet little girl would take the initiative. No idea how he got so delusional."

Scott spared her a smirk but was still shaking his head. "Did you ask Dani what the story was?" he asked Luke. "Because James doesn't get into trouble. He just doesn't."

"I didn't come down here to get redirected on how angelic you think your kid is," Luke said. "I _came down here_ to make sure you knew that your _boy_ is on notice."

"He didn't ask Dani _or_ James," Jessica said, cutting over him. "Dani told him what happened; he's gone deaf to anything like common sense."

Scott shook his head. "It's just that kind of day," he muttered.

"What else happened?" Jessica asked. "Because now I'm curious." She tipped her head to where Dani and Katie were cackling with laughter next to a grinning Clint.

"Rachel decked a boy."

Luke gestured openly. "See. That's how it's _supposed_ to work. Boys bein' fresh get laid _out_."

Jessica narrowed her eyes and tipped her chin up at Luke. "Sure about that?" But Luke just nodded, looking as serious as he was able, so Jessica turned back to Scott. "Anyhow. I wasn't going to let him come down here and start anything that didn't need to be started. James is fine. He didn't do anything wrong except, you know …be a boy and breathe."

"I didn't think he would," Scott said. "I taught my kids right." He tipped his head toward the soccer field. "And, apparently, they keep attracting girls who kiss first. Or did you miss Katie and Nate over there?"

"Yeah, but that's the new Hawkeye," Luke said with an ill-hidden laugh. "Bumps and bruises and everything that goes with it."

"They're getting kissed because they're _good_ boys," Jessica said.

Scott gestured to Jessica with one hand. "They are. And they know what I expect of them. And they have a telepathic sister who would send them into next week if they even _thought_ otherwise," he added, leaving out the part where James wasn't exactly open to Rachel all the time.

"You just tell that little troublemaker that I'm keeping an eye on him," Luke said, looking perfectly serious as he pointed at Scott. "And there won't be any more one-on-one tutoring sessions."

"Fine by me. You tell your daughter to make sure he _wants_ to kiss her if she wants another one."

Jessica snorted at that. "He wasn't complaining," she said as she pulled on Luke. "Leave him alone. He got your stupid macho message." As she passed Clint by, and they caught up with Dani, Jessica raised a hand to wave - then loudly called out "Oh wow! Is that Iron Fist?" just to irk Clint, which at least had Luke in a better mood. Even as Scott's smile fell completely.

"Shut up, Jessica," Clint called back.

"No way to talk to your adoring fans, _Iron Fist_."

"I hate you, you know that?"

Jessica turned with a huge grin and blew a kiss as she walked backward. "Right back atcha, big guy. See you at work."

"Are you okay with all … whatever it is that just happened?" Toby asked as Clint and Jessica traded a few last snipes back and forth. "Because I kinda think I could use a drink."

Scott finally relaxed slightly and rubbed his eyes. "The kids being kids part? Yes. The Avengers going back and forth with me at a public game? I'll need to get back to you on that. And possibly spend a few days elsewhere." With that, and with a heavy sigh, he turned to go gather up his youngest.

Just a few hours passed after Scott and Nate got home when James came in with Steve - though Steve was wearing an inducer, which was new. As soon as the door was closed behind them, Steve flipped it off and called out to Scott. "It's already being handled, by the way. The _Luke and Jessica_ thing."

"You came here in an inducer to tell me you're handling my son's love life?" Scott asked dryly, even though he was actively sweeping the neighborhood with long-range scanners from where he sat.

"Didn't want to draw any more attention in case people were looking for Avengers," Steve said. "And it's not about his love life. It's about a noisy security breach." He looked down at James, who looked like he was ready to pack up and move again, since this broke all the usual ways of dealing with things. "So you know, James didn't do a thing wrong."

"Oh, I didn't think he did," Scott promised, even going so far as to pause his scan to smile James' way. "She kissed you, huh? Nice."

James dropped his bookbag by the door. "Not my idea," he swore. "But I'm not dumb enough to tell her no, either."

"You can if you don't want her kissing you," Scott pointed out. "But…"

"She's cute," James said with a shrug and an understated, crooked smirk.

Scott smiled. "She is. And she must have noticed you're just as good-looking, kiddo. Good taste, that one."

James scrunched up his nose. "Yeah, okay. Su-ure."

Scott got to his feet and squeezed James' shoulder on the way past before he gestured for Steve to follow him to the living room. "I did a scan at the soccer game after Luke showed up, and no one in the _immediate_ area was suspicious, but the gossip is going to spread."

"Clint was swearing up a storm, in case you missed it," Steve said. "He said Natasha was on the move before Luke opened his mouth."

"I noticed, yeah," Scott said with a small smirk.

"Luke honestly thought you were settled and not hiding - Jessica, too," Steve said. "For what it's worth."

"Sounds like you need to remind your team the reality on the ground for mutants," Scott said, his eyes narrowed. "It's better, not genocidal, but…"

Steve nodded. "Already done. And Luke is ticked off at himself. Jessica is … well. Jessica. It was a fluke thing on his part, and I'm sure if Natasha and Tony hadn't both chewed him out about how he approached initially, he'd be apologizing for throwing a monkey wrench in the works."

"Good. Then he can help deal with the fallout if there is an issue."

"He already volunteered to," Steve agreed.

Scott nodded once and then, simply because he could understand it, relaxed his stance slightly. "I get it, though. My daughter's dating now, too. I get it."

"I'm sure you do," Steve said. "And between you and me, Jessica had a talk with Dani about _warning_ a person before kissing them."

Scott nodded. "It's just something about my boys. Katie kissed Nate's cheek after she made him eat dirt at the soccer game. It's just that kind of day, apparently."

"All three, huh?" Steve asked with a crooked smile. "I heard about Rachel from Storm."

"You didn't see the sudden gray streak in my hair?" Scott asked with a light smirk.

"Don't know if it'll help or hurt, but even if James wasn't expecting it - kid _ran_ with it. You know who to blame." He was grinning as he looked toward James, who was headed up the stairs.

"Not even surprised," Scott said, shaking his head with a smile at the very corner of his mouth.

"Call if you have any trouble, huh? I'll let you know if we see anything out of the norm at all."

"Will do," Scott promised. "And Steve?" He let his shoulders drop. "Thanks."

"Sure thing. I'll keep the inducer for pick-ups - and it'll be me for a while. Until we know for sure."

"Alright. I'll make sure James knows what's up."


	23. The Affairs of Teenagers

As it turned out, Tony went out of his way to ensure that his little genius was well protected. Security breaches on the whole were down dramatically, even considering the company's reasonably good record in the field. With James there - and Scott's concerns well known with those in charge, they went above and beyond to keep the boy and his family safe - and secret from the public at large, which was quite the feat when James was coming and going in an image inducer for years. It also became more important as he got older since the older he got, the more he resembled Logan, and even if the old man had been dead for years, that didn't mean that his face wasn't well known enough to be forgotten.

But all of that found its own way of leveling out. And Scott found himself far more engaged with their every day activities. James tried to be on autopilot as much as possible to streamline his own schedule and to keep from upsetting anyone else's. He also started staying in the city longer every day after the 'school day' was over. Rachel was making leaps and bounds at school and even mentoring some of the younger kids that came in with mental prowess that they needed to master … and Nate was still doing his best to break records in every sport he ever took half an interest in, cementing that the Summers competitive nature was alive and well in the new generation.

More fun than that, though, was the kids' personal lives. The little romantic entanglements of the Summers kids continued to be varying degrees of problematic, entertaining, and flat out sweet for Scott to watch over the last couple of years since 'the day of many kisses', as Clint was calling it. Rachel had the same draw that her mother did - and always seemed to have a handful of boys tripping over themselves to try and charm her, though rarely did she bother allowing them to do so. Not when she already knew what they were thinking. Anyone who actively thought like any _normal_ teenage boy was disqualified immediately - and often with no small amount of disappointment from _Rachel_. Especially when it was someone she thought was particularly good-looking or otherwise nice.

She simply couldn't stand that outlook, even if she was now sixteen years old and really wanting to go on dates with her friends now that she could drive. But … that didn't overrule her own personal codes and morals, and boys who only had sex on the brain were absolutely off limits. Not only because the objectification made her feel gross but because she really didn't want her dad to have a heart attack any time soon. He was having enough trouble with James and Nate to expect him to survive his daughter getting involved with questionable boys.

James' issues stemmed from his uncanny knack of finding _new_ dates every few months - half of whom were the offspring of someone in the Avengers' orbit. Scott still wasn't sure how the kid was _meeting_ the ones that weren't at the tower, though, so that was a slightly different and less controlled situation than what he was used to seeing around the young man. Which was really where the trouble was.

At thirteen, James wasn't quite old enough to be _trouble_ on the dating front - even if he _looked_ a few years older. Until rather recently, the most he was after was someone to watch movies with and steal kisses, but with unverified girls that hadn't been through Natasha's strict screening process…

Scott hated to think that someone would use a teenage girl to go after the kid, but he knew it wasn't outside of the realm of possibility, so he was on alert with everyone Natasha, Clint, Tony, and his own kids told him James was meeting up with _outside_ of the tower.

Then there was Nate.

Nate had been pushing harder and harder in sports from the moment he'd gotten involved in them. Which was fine, and lined up with his competitive nature. Scott certainly couldn't fault him for that. But ...he'd gone a little too far during a hockey game and ended up with a broken collar bone and was sure he was slowly dying because of it - _and_ because of the fact that he'd _just_ transferred to the Institute in Westchester with Rachel. It was a double hit for Nate. Not only was he out of the game for the rest of the league's season and missing tryouts for the next sports season, but he was separated from Katie for the first time since they'd moved to the city.

He still got to see Katie on the weekends when he and Rachel came home or mid-week occasionally when she'd come to spend time with a few of the kids at the institute, but … it wasn't as much fun for him at school, and he was working _hard_ to get better control so he could go back to public school.

But that left Scott alone all week with James - and James was increasingly concerned that Scott wasn't going to be able to make it so far from Rachel and Nate. The two of them had just gone back upstate for the week, and like they did every week, James went along with him to drop Nate and Rachel off, feeling like a third wheel in an otherwise well-balanced machine. The drives back to the city were always quiet - and James had noticed on more than a few occasions that Scott's attention would be drawn by houses for sale within a more reasonable distance to the school. It didn't take anything at all for him to put it together … and decide on a plan of action.

"Dad?" James said quietly, unsure if it was even something he should bring up.

"Yeah?" Scott replied, half distracted just a few miles before they got on the freeway.

"You know, if you want to get rid of the place in Brooklyn and move out here to be closer, I can probably just … stay with someone in the city." When Scott frowned and quickly looked his way, James tacked on another option. "Or I can quit the tutoring and stuff. I'm almost done with the last tests and I'm sure MIT can wait.."

Scott shook his head quickly. "No, no," he said. "You don't have to do anything like that. And I wouldn't leave you behind, either. You're my _son_."

"I know," James said a little softer. "But it would be easier for you if I-"

"Nate wants to get back into public school as soon as possible, and your tutoring is going _well_. Tony was just telling me last week that he's got MIT on speed dial wanting to work out a distance program for you so you don't need to leave the company. This is just a temporary thing, James," Scott assured him. "I'm trying not to uproot us. The house in Brooklyn is a good place - for all of us."

"I just know you've been going nuts with Rachel gone … and now Nate too? Come on."

Scott shook his head. "I'm fine, James. It's hard to transition to raising teenagers, that's all." He smirked James' way. "It used to be you all needed me every second for games and snacks and hugs; now you're all growing up."

"Well if you still want to lose at Mario Kart …"

"Maybe I do," Scott said, smirking harder. He turned his attention back to the road as the light turned green. "I'm proud of the people you're becoming - all of you. I hope you know that. I don't want to stand in your way."

"That's not even close to an issue," James said. "I just … I know there's not much else I can _do_ to help."

Scott reached over to squeeze James' shoulder. "Not something either of us can fix, James. We just have to wait it out until Nate has a handle on things, and with Rachel staying in Westchester to help Betsy, we'll just find our new normal again. We always do."

"Okay. I just felt like I had to offer an option. You deserve to be happy, too, Dad."

"I love you too," Scott promised. "But you're part of the family; don't discount that. I wouldn't want to be separated from you any more than I like being separated from your siblings."

James was quiet as he weighed his words, not wanting to let Scott think that he _wanted_ to go any more than he wanted everyone to be at odds. "Should be easier mornings anyhow, huh?"

Scott smirked and nodded. "Besides, this gives us time to hang out just us - and I _will_ win at Mario Kart. You're delusional."

"Yeah, I'll take it easy on you, don't worry."

Scott snorted. "I'll order the pizza. You set up the game."

* * *

"James," Natasha said slowly with a perfectly even tone as she and Katie stepped into the space Tony had given him to invent and experiment in. "You _have_ to stop meeting girls at their discretion before I can look into them."

"Why?" James asked without looking up from the programming job he was going through at his 3D printer. "No one knows or _cares_ who I'm related to anymore."

"You know that's not true," Natasha said, crossing her arms.

"Well … no one outside of the spandex crowd even knows I exist, so …"

"They don't know you exist because I've worked very hard to keep you _safe_ ," Natasha said with some heat. "And your father has bent over backwards to do the same. Tony too, for that matter."

James let out a breath and pushed back from his desk to face her properly as he crossed his arms. "Okay. You're going to need to pick a direction," James said slowly. "Either … I'm in constant danger and I need to stay holed up and hidden indefinitely, or I'm relatively safe and should try and make friends with people that _don't_ have aspirations to become Avengers."

"You know it's not that simple."

"Yeah, well … is it that bad, Katie?" James asked in an _open_ attempt at deflecting. "You went with last time for coffee …"

Katie held up both hands. "Hey, I'm only here because Mom has to take me to cello practice after she does whatever this is. Leave me out of it."

"'This' is called a guilt trip," James said. "And a bad one at that."

"It's called _security_ ," Natasha said. "And you're old enough _and smart enough_ to understand it."

"I do understand it," James said. "I keep an eye out for trouble. I did research into all the baddies and all their bad little kids … so I know what they look like and how to avoid them. You know. It's fine. Most of NYC isn't made up of creeps. Even the ones without spandex in their veins aren't all bad."

"Says the _boy_ ," Katie grumbled - since, as she was getting older, she was discovering as Rachel had what boys their age were usually thinking about.

"I know. All boys are fundamentally horrible people," James said. "But there are a pretty fair few stalkery women too."

"And not every one of them is going to be related to a bad guy," Natasha pointed out. "And the kinds of people after what you have and what you're capable of aren't above using young girls to lure you. I'd know."

"Okay, but you're not telling me what it is you want me to actually _do_ about it outside of not talk to anyone unless you preapprove them for chatting. Which sucks the fun out of it." James held out both hands. "You told me to make friends. Socialize."

"Don't _go_ with them unless I vet them," Natasha corrected him. "Talking is fine."

"What do you think I'm doing? Talking and coffee ...98% of the time."

Natasha shook her head at him. "Yes. Away from others. That's my point."

"So I need a chaperone for coffee too?" James challenged. "Because nothing says 'don't look suspicious' like walking around with an Avenger all the time."

"I want you to at least _tell someone_ where you're going, who you plan to be with, - and for God's sake, do it someplace close so if there _is_ trouble, we can help. Half the time, I don't even know who you're dating or that you've gone out until after the fact!"

He leaned back in his chair. "Fine. Give me a list of _approved_ coffee shops and _I'll do what I can_ to stick to it."

"Fine," Natasha said, turning on her heel to leave.

Katie gave James an apologetic smile. "You should have seen her after my first date. Sorry about this," she said before Natasha called for her to catch up.

"You're getting grumpy in your old age, Aunt Nat!" James called out just to irk her even as he smiled at Katie. "Not as 'black' anymore either."

Natasha let out a wordless noise, and Katie grinned. "Hey, say hi to your brother for me, wouldja?" Katie said.

"Any love notes you want passed?" James called back. "Boxes with check yes or no?"

Katie giggled. "Yeah, 'when are you coming back from Westchester; please sign and date'."

"I'll draft it for you in purple crayola," James said.

"Please and thank you!" Katie called out before the door closed behind them.

James hummed to himself then took his phone out to draft up a quick text. _So, what do you say, Mayday? You gonna leave me hanging or are you going to go out with me? I just got the ticked off Aunt treatment and she wants to know that who I'm seeing isn't a security breach. I didn't mention who I was asking, but I know you're cleared._

There was a pause and James smirked as he watched the three dots dance, waiting for her to respond before finally: _I will only date you if you come and introduce yourself to my parents._

_They've both seen me here._

_Dad doesn't know you've been asking me out or that you're ignoring other girls to get my attention. Yes. I know you've been ignoring them._

James sighed. Queens was definitely out of the radius that Natasha had established for him … but on the other hand, little May Parker was absolutely cleared as the daughter of an Avenger. It really boiled down to what was more attractive to him. Keeping Natasha's head from exploding or impressing Peter Parker's troublemaking but _very_ attractive daughter who he _knew_ was interested in him. He looked across the hallway though the glass separating his lab from Tony's as he weighed it out. It was a no brainer. _I can be there in an hour._

_Not tonight! I have school in the morning- not all of us are so far ahead of schedule._

James smiled crookedly to himself. He knew tonight wouldn't work but he liked to rile her. _Friday then?_

The three dots danced and stopped several times before May finally answered. _Coffee after you talk to my parents. 3:30. Don't be late._

_I won't be. See you then._

* * *

Scott was visiting the tower more often lately. It had taken him a while even to go _once_ , because he still didn't like to associate with the team in their work environment, and the last time he'd been had been when Jan got hurt. But the more time James spent there, the more Scott knew he needed to check in and support James so James didn't feel any more like a third wheel than Scott knew he already felt. He just had to remind himself that it was like going to Nate's soccer games.

So, Scott had started going - and was going more often lately, especially with Nate and Rachel in Westchester. His world revolved around the kids, and James was the only one home for the moment. So, he went where James was.

He smirked when the first person he saw was Jan. It had taken the two of them a while to figure out how to maintain their friendship when they both knew they deeply cared about each other, even if they'd broken up. But, somehow, it was easier once Jan started dating Tony Stark. It was easier for Scott to play a protective friend than to walk a careful line of trying not to fall back so easily into the way things had been between them once. And she seemed genuinely _happy_ with Tony - surprisingly so - so that made things easier too.

"Oooh! Good timing!" Jan said when she saw him. "You came by between strikes in the prank war! You should be safe today. Tony's still trying to figure out how to get James back."

"Oh, good, because last time, I was picking feathers out of my hair for hours," Scott said, shaking his head as he closed the door behind him.

"You know, Tony apologized for that for _ever_ , too," Jan laughed. "But it's back in his court … I'm not sure how the counter strike is going to go when your boy managed to rig one of Spidey's cartridges and _webbed him to the ceiling._ "

Scott laughed outright. "That's my boy."

"You know, he's kind of asking for it when he lets the kid help him design triggers?" She pulled him along to the kitchen - already offering him a cup wordlessly. "So. Anything new with you? Anything that maaaybe I don't know about yet that I should know about?"

Scott shook his head with an easy shrug as he took the coffee. "It's been nice to have more one-on-one time with James lately. You wouldn't believe the games of Risk that have been going on at our house."

"Yeah? I already know better than to play chess with him. Is he getting sassy with you finally?" She was grinning widely.

"Mostly when I'm winning at Mario Kart," Scott chuckled. "Or if I have a blue shell."

"I'll have to take you by Tony before you go because you need to see the sassiness - he's got something for you to watch _but …_ before that, I have news … and I want to be sure that all is good in your world."

"Other than Nate regularly contacting me to complain that he's ready to get back to public school?" Scott smirked and tapped his temple. "Which I would believe more if he could maintain the contact."

Jan made a disappointed face. "Poor guy. Being overly upset can't help with that, either, I'll bet."

"Nope. And he hasn't figured out yet that it's a _who_ that he misses, not a _what_ ," Scott said, clearly entertained.

"Mmmhmm. Well. Give him a little time. He'll get it, and when he does, I totally have a new place to go for wings that I'd _love_ to take him to," Jan said, nodding to herself before she subtly held her left hand out in front of herself and wiggled her fingers. "So …. News…"

"I noticed," Scott said, smiling outright. "I was wondering if you could stand to keep it to yourself much longer."

"How long have you known?!" Jan said, looking shocked - but delighted.

"Jan, I have eyes that pick up metal on everyone I encounter. I saw before you took your hand out from behind your back." He paused. " _And_ when Tony was carrying it in his pocket for weeks."

She grinned wider. "Well. You have the scoop on the press. We agreed not to let it out until you knew - and it has to be a controlled release. Don't want the press swarming our little wonder kid accidentally."

Scott nodded along to everything she said before he simply pulled her into a hug. "I'm really happy for you - but I also feel like it's my job to say if he hurts you, I'll put him through every wall in the tower. Just so you know."

Jan grinned wider and wrapped him up in another tight hug. "Aww, such a sweet guy."

"Got your back, Jan - you know that," Scott said, pulling her into a spinning hug. "And congratulations."

"Thanks, Scott. It means the world to me. And now … since you're ahead of the curve _as you should be_ … you really need to see the video Tony has for you. He's been laughing for _days_ over this thing. I mean … I didn't realize sass was that strongly _genetic_."

"What's the video?" Scott asked.

"James giving Natasha a hard time. Like … to the point she was nearly sputtering."

He grinned. "Then yes, I definitely need to see it."

She laughed as she pulled him over to Tony's lab - which was right across the hall from James, both for security and supervision issues - and as luck would have it, Tony was laughing and watching the video in question with Steve. "Oh, good. I need to know - is he like this at home, or does he save it up just for our Widow?" Tony asked when he saw Scott and Jan.

"It's for her … or for when I take Australia in Risk."

Tony was almost giggling as he cued the video up and turned the screen slightly for Scott to watch - again, the discussion at hand was security, and again, James was working loopholes and twisting Natasha's words on her like a pro - all while _looking_ so much like an overly smug Logan it was almost illegal.

Scott shook his head. "And there's his father."

"I don't know," Tony laughed. "Awful lot of mom in there. Lawyering up all over the place."

Scott chuckled again. "You didn't have to deal with him as often as I did. They were a matched set."

"I don't know about how much we didn't have to deal with," Steve said, shaking his head. "His father gave me flack every single chance he got. The man called me his _sidekick_ , for cry eye."

"And I had both of them trying to give me _and_ the professor flack. In tandem."

"Yeah, but I saw her turn on _him_ and play defense for _you_ a couple times," Steve said. "I think she did it just to get that fully blindsided look of betrayal out of him."

"No, it was because I was right," Scott said as if it was that simple.

"Obviously," Steve said, shaking his head with a laugh.

"So … is that normal all the time at home or does he save it for special occasions?" Tony asked.

"He's never that obstinate with me," Scott admitted. "Must just be for Nat."

"Makes sense to me," Steve deadpanned. "Her spy-Nat expression doesn't work on him. He just gives it right back to her and asks what he wins when the staring contest ends." Steve grinned to himself. "Gets her worked up every single time. Even if I'm pretty sure she loves it."

"Jan tell you about the webbing bomb?" Tony asked, his expression somewhere between irritated and proud. "He won't tell me how he got a hold of one of those canisters."

"Oh, well," Jan said, grinning crookedly. " _I_ know."

"Yeah, and you're not sharing," Tony said, rolling his eyes. "I can guess just fine. Little May's been spending a _lot_ of time making excuses to get him out of the lab.."

"Yeah," Jan laughed. "And he runs with it when he's not _instigating_ trouble here."

"Aside from the little prank war, he's really _not_ causing trouble," Tony defended. "And if you tell him that this war is good for him, I'll deny it, but it really is getting him even more creative than usual. I've been taking apart the trigger system he rigged for that webbing attack all morning. Amazing work."

"High praise," Jan said his way with a crooked grin.

"He's earned it," Tony defended. "And if he can keep his focus on his work … then MIT will be bending over backwards to work around _his_ schedule." He turned to Scott. "They probably would anyhow, but considering security, I still think it'd be best if he worked for his degrees remotely. I'm reasonably sure I should have done the same thing - but I wanted _away_ from my dad at the time."

"Totally not the problem here," Jan said with full confidence. "But … Mr. Summers, I think I'd like a moment to chat with you, if you don't mind terribly. I have a wedding to plan and I'd like your input while these two act like teenagers."

"Do they ever _stop_?" Scott asked, one eyebrow raised.

"No. So it's best to leave them to it." She pulled on his arm to lead him away from the two _snickering_ Avengers who were continuing the tape where James had called Natasha the 'grayer widow' and gotten an actual huff out of her.


	24. Crushed

As it turned out, Clint and Natasha's second-oldest girl was a mutant, which meant the trip to Westchester for the family - not that Katie was at _all_ bummed about it. She'd been missing her best friend fiercely and couldn't wait to tell him about how his brother was getting into trouble with May Parker and how Spidey _refused_ to believe that May was the source of the trouble.

Nate seriously needed to hurry up and be done with his telepathy control stuff so Katie could get back to teasing people with him.

So she was grinning as she bounded out of her parents' car and bounced past Mia - who knew exactly who Katie was looking for and directed her toward the living room with a whispered: "He needs rescuing. An idiot blonde has him cornered."

Which was great! Then Katie could tease him about being the damsel in distress again.

Except… Nate didn't need rescuing. In fact, Katie barely got a glimpse of the two of them on the couch in a lip-lock before she slammed the door shut, turned purple, and skipped out of there as fast as she could.

She'd _never_ seen Nate kiss anybody else before, and she didn't know what to _do_ with that information. Her brain was basically rejecting the whole idea on the premise that it was _too weird_.

She made it out to the family car - her mom was dealing with Storm and talking about Lexi's newfound ability to gossip with every bird in New York and to talk to Lucky - and had thought that no one had noticed her quick escape until her dad got in the car from the other side and sat down with her with one eyebrow raised.

And, look, everyone always talked about how her mom was the spy and could get what she wanted with a look, but when her _dad_ pulled that look, it was all over. The next thing Katie knew, she just started _crying_ , and she couldn't figure out how to stop, especially once her dad hugged her and that just seemed to be like giving her permission to fall apart _even more_.

Eventually, when she felt like she'd cried hard enough that she was starting to come back down to Earth, Clint asked, "So, what happened - and is anyone going to care where I bury the body?"

Despite how terrible she was feeling, Katie ended up laughing as she shook her head and wiped her eyes. "It's stupid," she said, her cheeks still burning bright red.

"Doesn't look stupid to me," Clint said.

"It's Nate."

"I stand corrected."

Katie burst into a little laugh and finally managed to get her cheeks dry. "He's just… never … I mean, I didn't _mean_ to walk in on him making out with a bottle-blonde, but…"

"But he's an idiot."

Katie sniffled and nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I guess he can kiss whoever he wants… I just…" She drew her shoulders up. "I guess I like him, Dad."

"You can do better."

"Yeah, I know," Katie said. "I just didn't even know I liked him, y'know?" She winced out a tiny smile. "Oops?"

Clint couldn't stop his smile. "I honestly don't know if you're more like me or your mom that way."

"Well, Mom says she figured it out one of the times you were, like, _dying_ , so at least I didn't do that," Katie pointed out.

"Maybe he needs to be dying to figure it out … I can arrange that, you know. I know a guy."

Katie laughed and rested her head on Clint's shoulder. "Love you too, Dad."

"Sorry your friend is a moron," Clint said, pulling her in for a bear hug. "If it makes you feel any better at all, most guys at his age are. Hell. most guys at _my_ age are. Sorry 'bout that."

"Yeah, Rachel was complaining about it last time the Summerses were over," Kate said with a small smile.

"I have heard a lot about what little Rachel Summers has been forced to _hear_."

"Have I mentioned I'm perfectly happy being a non-telepath human?" Katie said, her eyes wide. "Because I am. Very, very happy about it."

"I'll bet. Come on, let's say good luck to your sister and get out of this place, huh?"

Katie nodded and gave her dad one more hug. "Let's jet," she agreed.

* * *

"Taser arrows," James said out of nowhere. "I can make 'em tiny. Like darts. He won't see them coming."

Katie looked up from the homework she had been doing at the tower. James was _ridiculously_ sneaky, which she didn't think was fair, and she hadn't heard him coming until just that moment when he'd spoken up. "Who won't see them coming?" she asked.

"Anyone that's dumb enough to have ticked you off," he said, raising one eyebrow. "Anyone I know?"

"Oh, just that idiot brother of yours has been kissing blondes," Katie grumbled, flushing pink. She wasn't sure what had given her away, since she'd sworn her dad to secrecy.

"Glitter bomb if you don't want to hurt him. But I still think a taser is appropriate. Just be sure you shoot him in the butt."

"It would be more satisfying to shoot _her_ , since she was the one, um, being pushy…" Katie said, drifting off and _really_ not wanting to talk about what she'd seen.

"Stink bomb then. Or something to dye her hair … orange. Like neon orange."

Katie smirked. "That last one for sure."

"It'd dye the skin, too." James leaned on the chair next to her. "But … how about a study break?" He peeked over her shoulder. "You've got this lesson down."

Katie let her shoulders drop but closed the book. "Yeah, I was just trying to look busy," she admitted. "Dad keeps offering neutering services, and I love him, but I'm trying not to be that girl, you know? Not like I ever asked Nate out anyway."

"Did you even know you liked him before the skank encounter?" James asked as he offered her a hand up.

"Well, no," Katie said slowly.

"Then you can't kick yourself over it." He leaned toward her and let his voice drop lower. "He was not prepared for her at all. It _won't_ last long. But in the meantime, you look like you could use a coffee. Or a cocoa. And I have a short list of coffee shops that your mom won't stroke out over if I go to them … so we need to ignore that list and find a new one."

Katie laughed. "She might stroke out if she thinks I'm rebounding with you - especially if she thinks I'm rebounding cheating with May's guy."

"You're not rebounding. You're just … getting some coffee with me." He snapped his fingers. "You're my chaperone. Responsible party."

"James, I hate to tell you this, but if _I'm_ the responsible party, we're all in trouble," Katie laughed.

"We'll have fun," he said, grinning at her. "Come on. What's it gonna hurt? Cross my heart, I'm not hitting on you. You're too much like a dorky little sister to me."

"We're practically the same age," Katie said, rolling her eyes.

"Still not the same."

"One month!"

"So you should be more mature. Are you coming or what?" James was still smiling at her. "May's going to be at her debate club all afternoon and it's definitely time for a break from here. So count yourself lucky because _she_ wouldn't _ask_ before retaliating against him or his skank."

Katie smiled and shook her head. "I'm coming," she said, taking a few quick steps to catch up to him. "Your girlfriend is trouble, you know that? I love her."

"What? She's just … creative. And starting to get spider-powers."

"Which is why you like hanging out with her so much," Katie pointed out. "But if it's alright with you, can we just talk about something not related to dating for a while?"

"Anything but Nate, yes. Please. That's what I was hoping for."

Katie smiled and let James lead the way as the two of them talked about Tony's latest shenanigans, not to mention how Lexi was getting along with classes in Westchester and how James' dad was still trying to fend off single women in their neighborhood without stepping on any toes.

Eventually, they got to the cafe and settled down with their coffee, now well into a discussion of Katie's love of sports colliding with sleazy and sexist coaches the older she got. She told him she was leaning toward cheerleading at this point because the soccer _and_ softball coaches were both driving her nuts.

"I will 100% beat the daylights out of any coach that looks at you crooked," James promised. "I'll even make it look like an accident."

Katie laughed. "Mom's already taking care of it."

"She's a hog when it comes to that stuff you know. And we should really watch out for _her_ the older she gets."

"Well, you know I've been talking to Aunt Jan about designing something for me for that secret project we're definitely not supposed to be even _considering_ …"

"Ah," James said, leaning back slightly.

"Nate let me in on it," Katie explained. "I hope that's okay, even if I'm not, you know…"

"I'm not even sure I'm in on it," James said. "I know about it, sure, I just … don't know that it's a smart move. And even though I know you're going to go into the _one_ team, just … think it over before you commit to anything like the other one."

"Yeah, Jan sat me down to have a good talk when I approached her," Katie told him honestly. "She saw how messed up your dad was after what happened - how messed up he _still_ is - and … she says she'll totally design for us if we do it, but I think I got her version of 'buyer beware'."

James looked surprised to hear it. "Really."

"You know she was really torn up about everything after that breakup, right? Not just the romantic angle," Katie pointed out.

"Ah, _yeah_ , I was the only one that came up here when it was still fresh," James said. "Pretty sure I buried myself in applied astrophysics for a month. You know … _before_ I ended up spending too much time with Franklin."

Katie nodded. "Still. If it's okay, I'd like to do it if you guys decide to go through with it." She paused. "Even if Nate's still being an idiot. Not like I only wanted to help for _him_."

"They're going through with it," James said. "I'm the only one on the fence. They've wanted to forever, I doubt they'll back off until they at least try it."

"Then I guess I'll have to back them up so they aren't even stupider than usual." Katie pulled a face. "Nate _alone_ …"

"That is a really big job for just one person," James said seriously. "Both of them when they're secret keeping too?" He let out a noise of disgust. "Makes me glad I can block them out. It's nice to be defective sometimes. Make them _speak_."

"Actually, I _like_ talking with Nate when he's-" She paused, blushed, and then let her shoulders drop. "Oh, never mind. That would be _super_ awkward right about now."

"Katie. Come on. Don't lose your stride now." He dipped his head down to catch her gaze. "Do you need chocolate or explosives?"

"Um, yes?" Katie said, with one eye closed. "Sorry, I'm just…"

"You can take it out on me if you need to," James said.

Katie let out a laugh that didn't sound like her and instead of getting mad at him she started to cry a little bit. "Not _your_ fault your brother is like this," she said. "And I really should get over it; I should."

James let out a sigh and got up to cross over to her side of the booth and wrapped her up in a hug. "I'm sorry, Katie. It's not your problem to fix."

Katie leaned her forehead on his shoulder as she hugged him back tightly with a soft, "I know."

They would have stayed like that for as long as Katie needed the hug, too - but they were joined by an unexpected visitor. A girl with curly, dark hair and a cropped hoodie that showed off her midriff sat down at their table and tipped her head at the two of them. "So, who's the jerk that made a gorgeous girl cry and can I help pound him?"

"Got it covered, thanks, new girl," James said.

"Yeah, you're a great shoulder to cry on; I can see that," the girl said before she held her hand out to Kate. "America Chavez, by the way. And my offer's good. I think most sleazebags deserve a beating anyway, but for a pretty girl, I'll go out of my way for it."

James couldn't help but laugh under his breath. "Okay, sure … been offered already and he's not that big of a sleaze. Just … stupid."

"He's dating an idiot blonde," Katie explained, smiling in spite of herself at America's brazen approach.

"Over you? _Chica_ , you can do so much better than a blind moron," America said, smiling easily.

"She's not wrong," James said quietly as he sat back, though he didn't move away from her as he watched America.

"Yeah, I've gotten that message a few dozen times over, thanks," Katie said, brushing a hand through her hair.

James drew in a slow breath, subtly testing the air, then turned his head toward the counter. "Would you ladies like a refill? I'm buying."

"Well, if you're buying, I won't turn you down," America said easily.

James slid her a napkin. "Write down what you want. I know what she likes to order."

America smirked, took the napkin, wrote down her phone number - and gave it to Kate instead. "I'll just have cocoa, _gracias_."

James smirked and stood up. " _De nada._ You girls have fun. Don't worry, I'll take my time."

Katie was smiling in disbelief as she watched James leave and then pocketed the napkin with America's phone number on it. "Okay, I admit it: that was a good move."

"Hey, my opening move of offering to be a knight in shining armor didn't wow you," America laughed. "And you _are_ very pretty."

Katie blushed. "You're not so bad yourself."

"I'll take it." America leaned forward with a smile. "Is 'not so bad' enough for a coffee date without your friend around?"

"We'll see," Katie laughed, knowing her mom would have a _fit_ if she didn't at least run America's number through a few databases before she went anywhere alone.

When James came back a while later with drinks for the three of them, he couldn't help but slide another napkin to America. "Number of the barista in case you can't get any traction," he said as casually as breathing.

America laughed and pocketed the number. "Consolation prize. Nice. Should I be worried?" She was looking at James but obviously directing the question to Katie, who laughed and shook her head.

"Bout what?" James asked.

"Well, you're the friend she cries on in public. You've got _sway_ ," America teased him. "If you're already prepping me for failure with a backup option…"

"I've got a girlfriend. And I like to help wherever I can," he said with a crooked smile.

"So do I," she said, matching his smile with one of her own. "And I think I'm doing fine without the consolation number."

"I help even when it's my own brother being the idiot in question," James said.

"Ooh, that _is_ a good friend. You're lucky, Princess," America said, grinning Katie's way.

"I know it, too," Katie said, smiling over the top of her coffee cup.

America grinned wider and then got to her feet. "Call me when you're ready to wash the taste of the idiot brother out of your mouth," she told Katie, all but bouncing out of the cafe.

James waited just long enough for the door to close behind America before he turned toward Katie with one eyebrow raised - and not a word spoken.

Katie threw both hands up. "I don't know. _Maybe_."

"She's cute. She seems like _fun_. And she wasn't being deceptive or sneaky about anything."

"No, I don't have to have a super sniffer to know how _open_ she was being," Katie agreed, smiling in spite of herself.

"It wasn't a _line_ either," James said.

"Well, that's good, because if I do end up kissing a girl, I don't want to dig up that conversation with, like, everyone for a _line_ ," Katie said.

"No one will bother you on that front," James said with a wave. "If you go for it now, when you're all … heartbroken, they'd probably just chalk it up to rebound or a fluke thing or … honestly the furthest thing from Nate you can find."

Katie shrugged. "I dunno. I guess it can't hurt to try it out, right?"

James held up one hand. "And I swear I won't breathe a word or have a thought about you or your pretty girlfriend to Nate _or_ Rachel."

"No, no, you can definitely think about it around them," Katie said quickly.

"Yeah, I can. And they won't know anyhow," James said. "Cut 'em out, remember?"

"No, I mean…" Katie flushed. "I mean, turnabout…"

"Test the waters," James said, smirking and nodding slowly. "Yeah, okay. Or … ask her out. We can double. He'd hear about it through proxy by Dad and your mom won't have fits if you're not alone." He pulled out his phone and started texting May.

"James, has anyone told you you're a genius?" Katie asked, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

"Nope," he said, smirking wider as May replied with an enthusiastic 'when and where' that he tipped so Kate could read. "Genius hasn't come up."

Katie grinned. "Okay, but let me at least run her number or my mom _will_ kill me. And besides, you don't call the same day you get the number."

James pointed at the cup America had left behind. "I was gonna run DNA, but sure. A phone trace won't be a problem either."

"Awww, you look out for me so well," she gushed.

"I _have_ to. I'm a whole month older." When he got up, he carefully snatched America's empty cup. "Ready to go back? Just tell May the when and where. Don't worry about her parents. She'll get out anyhow."

Katie laughed. "You two are going to get in so much trouble one of these days. More than the usual level you get into."

He frowned at her. "What are you talking about? We're _perfectly_ innocent."

"Yes, of course," Katie said, nodding along before she pulled her arm through his. "Now, come on. Let's get home so we can set up a double date."


	25. Trick Or Treat

"Are you sure it's okay for Kate to bring a date to a school dance at a school she doesn't go to?" Nate asked Rachel with a frown as he put the finishing touches on his costume. A few weeks had passed since Katie and America started dating - or more accurately, double dating with James and May.

"You'd rather she went to the haunted house that America and May suggested?" Rachel countered. "Because you _know_ if May suggested it … it wasn't for the haunted house. It was for the dark corners." Rachel shook her head with a muted laugh. "I swear, her projections are every bit as bad as most of the teenage boys I've gotten mad at."

Nate let out an annoyed breath. "That's not what I meant," he said as he flipped his pirate eyepatch down.

"Well those were the options," Rachel said with a shrug as she finished her makeup.

"Yeah, it's just… we were texting and she told me what they're all doing for costumes…" Nate muttered, not _meaning_ to project to Rachel how he just knew he wasn't going to be able to focus all night. Along with exactly how frustrated he was that Katie was dating someone else.

 _It can't be that bad,_ Rachel tried to tell him. _And you're dating someone else. I'm just surprised that everyone let them go with America driving._

 _America can talk anyone into anything,_ Nate pointed out sullenly.

_Yeah, but Dad._

_Dad… thinks James is the angel child._

_No, Dad thinks that May won't do anything too far off the rails,_ Rachel corrected. _Especially since the plan meant meeting Spidey once they got here._

_Yeah, cuz James isn't the one dating America._

_No. Just double dating with her._ Rachel was smiling to herself - especially since even now, Nate still wasn't fully aware of how _sullen_ he was acting over Katie having a date.

Nate let out a breath and then kicked off from the dresser. "C'mon. Let's watch Spidey have an aneurism."

By the time Rachel and Nate got down to the party, America, Kate, May, and James had already shown up - and as predicted, Spidey was a few steps away from having a cardiac episode as his sweet little girl was having a _blast_ dressed up as Daenerys Targaryen and proudly grinning at the slit in the skirt that went up to her hip. She'd gotten James to go along with her 'freak dad out' plan as a shirtless Khal Drogo. America of course, thought it was the height of hilarity, too, which was all the fuel on the fire that May needed to go through with kicking it up another notch.

She and James stuck around long enough for Mia to gush about their full costumes and makeup, then turned to Kate and America as James and May disappeared with May leading the way through the crowd and giggling madly the whole time.

"You guys look so much better in person in these outfits!" Mia declared, bouncing on her toes as her tail swayed behind her. "The cell phone pic was great but this …"

Kate and America grinned at each other, both of them wearing short skirts as matching Sailor Moon characters - both of them nailing the look complete with pigtails. "Your costume's amazing too," Katie pointed out. "I can't believe Forge put together a working Ghostbuster proton pack."

"Of course he did! He's the _best_ ," Mia answered with a warm smile. "Come on! You have to show off for mom before you both get too _busy_."

America smirked Kate's way. "See, Princess? She knows what's up."

"Oh, hush," Katie said, though she was blushing deeply - and grinning.

Mia dragged them to Storm, gushing the whole way, only to pause when she saw Nate show up across the hall. "Oh. Right. So … did you get your candy yet? Bob for apples before the water gets full of gross."

The pause was so obvious that America leaned over to Kate to whisper "oh look, the idiot," which prompted Kate to fall apart giggling - and got Nate to frown even deeper than before, if that was at all possible.

"Hey, Nate," Kate said, waving his way. "I like the pirate costume."

Nate made a small noise at the back of his throat before his date, Taylor, started to pull him away. "I like your costume too," he managed to say - over his shoulder.

"Yep. Confirmed idiot," America said loud enough that Nate could hear it and turn around to glare at her - only for America to take that exact moment to pick Kate up and kiss her _hard_.

Nate glared harder, especially when Kate kissed America back just as enthusiastically, and after that, he really wasn't paying much attention to what Taylor was saying anyway.

Across the room, as Nate got more and more irritated with Taylor, Mia let out a squeak and teleported over to Rachel with wide eyes. "Um … Spidey can't … talk. I think your brother is in trouble."

Rachel shrugged, not at all concerned with _that_ brother at the moment. "May picked the costumes, so Spidey can't claim anything against James here."

"Yeah, but he went looking for them and … found them in the corner?" Mia told her quietly. "He looked like he was going to yell, but May just picked up your brother and took off. Laughing."

"Sounds about right," Rachel said, smirking.

"Is Nate okay?" she asked quieter.

Rachel let out a sigh and gestured wordlessly to her sulking brother. "He doesn't even realize he's being like he is. And I'm actively trying not to listen to his thoughts right now ever since he saw the Sailor Moon outfits, thanks. I don't need to know my _brother's_ fantasies. Ever."

"Oh. My. God," Mia said, even more wide eyed than before. "Can you _stop him_ without making him stroke out?"

"I'm not that good yet, and honestly, when I'm annoyed, my touch is more fiery than usual, so… that's a double no."

"How about you step away from the sulking brother then?" Mia suggested. "But I wouldn't go toward the library. I know James is probably blocking you but May …might be problematic." She turned and took in the room at large. "Yeah, you know … I'm betting this whole party kind of stinks for you right now, doesn't it?"

"I'm getting better at tuning them all out," Rachel said. "Actually, the adults are worse in some cases."

"Okay. please don't enlighten me … and how about … we just I don't know … find something to do that's fun?"

"Yeah, let's make my brother play the advanced candy toss Warren set up. He can't resist sharpshooting," Rachel said, smirking.

"Yes. good luck with that, I'll make sure we have enough candy canes." She grinned and disappeared in a poof of smoke - only to return a few moments later and pelt Nate with a few pieces of candy. "Come on! Time to play games!"

Kate and America shared a look and grinned as they took their places at the candy toss. There was a whole line up of quick games both old fashioned and some more modern to keep the students occupied. Everything from apple bobbing and the candy toss to donut jousting and moving candy corn with only straws. Which meant there was much that Kate and Nate could do to compete.

"Partners!" Kate called out, and America was quick to snatch the bucket from Kate's hands.

"Oh, come on," Nate grumbled just low enough that Taylor didn't _hear_ him as she took up the spot next to America holding his bucket, though he raised his voice to Kate and America. "I hope you're ready to get beaten one-handed."

"In your dreams, idiot boy," America laughed.

It was simple enough - Kate and Nate were throwing pieces of wrapped up candy for America and Taylor to catch. The two with buckets weren't allowed to move beyond their reach, so accuracy started with the two throwing and right out of the gate, it was entirely lopsided.

The truth was that Kate and Nate were pretty evenly matched with aim … the problem was that Taylor didn't _know_ that and was trying hard to compensate and impress them by over correcting and panicking when he'd toss something at her.

America and Kate on the other hand … America barely moved. At all. It was child's play to win that round - which frustrated Nate even further as he tried to gently tell Taylor repeatedly to quit. Moving. Which really only showed him that she had zero faith in his skills.

A few tables over, Storm was overseeing the apple bobbing all while encouraging and laughing at the kids that were participating. Lexi had just come up to try, but was nervous about it. Or she was until Spidey came in, marching May ahead of him with one hand on her shoulder - and dragging James along with his free hand, insisting that the two of them stay somewhere _public_ … though his direction was lacking the kind of laser guided directive that James decided was required, and to Peter's absolute irritation, James and May shared a trouble making look and dove into a very public borderline makeout session right there at the apple bobbing station.

Storm busted out laughing, but broke up the fun with a well-placed miniature storm cloud that had May loudly protesting and James laughing with his face tipped up to the rain. "Now that you're already wet, it won't hurt you to show Lexi how it's done," Ororo said as she pulled James back, laughing all the more when he simply used one hand to push the wet hair back and smiled up toward the last bit of the tiny rainshower.

"Are there teams?" James asked.

"Yes, and you're on Lexi's," Ororo said. "Let May find someone else for five minutes."

James was still grinning as he turned to Lexi. "You heard her. She put me on a timer."

Which of course had Ororo laughing again at him. "That is not what I said," she managed through her laugh. "Try to behave yourself."

Lexi giggled, knowing that James was picking at her, but it gave Peter a chance to actually _talk_ to his daughter without James distracting her. It also left James and Lexi joking around as if there hadn't been an angry dad there just a moment ago. "You don't need me to win this," James said over her shoulder, though he hadn't backed away to go after May, knowing full well she _should_ take a few minutes for both of their sakes.

"Your eye liner is running," Lexi laughed.

"Because you're breaking my heart by _stalling_ ," James said, gesturing to the apples floating in the water. "Get to it so we can get on with the game."

"Do you have a strategy for me?"

"Don't breathe in once your face is in the water," James said as seriously as he could - at least until Lexi hit him and called him a dork before diving in to try. She hadn't been at the institute for long yet, and she still was a little self conscious around all the kids, but James either didn't have that issue, or he didn't let it show because he seemed to be _fine_ joking around and playing games with anyone around them as he and Lexi kept it up - with both of them giving the other advice - until they got their apples.

Which was when Nate came over ready to take his turn too - and wanting to at _least_ beat America and Kate for time. "I don't know that you're authorized to play in the water, pirate boy," James said as he gestured to Nate's sling.

"It's not a _cast_ ," Nate said, frowning at his brother. "You're wearing more eye makeup than Rachel, you know." Lexi took one look at the expression on Nate's face and decided to get out of the line of fire.

"May did it," he said, not at all bothered by Nate's irritated tone, even if he was still dripping water from both the apple bobbing and the short _shower_ that Ororo had hit him with. James grinned at Nate and crunched into his apple, perfectly at ease with all the chaos around them.

"You're supposed to go put caramel on that," America said as she and Kate came over to play, too.

"No thanks, I don't need the sugar," James said as he leaned into the chair nearest him to watch the spectacle. "And I wanna see who wins this round. I think I know already."

Nate narrowed his eyes at his brother but took up a position where he could glare at James if need be.

"You both know the rules here," Ororo said as she joined the little group of teenagers, though she paused to turn toward America. "I take it you would like to race Nate as well?"

"I could, but I already won," America said with a crooked smile. "Isn't that right, princess?"

"At one game, anyhow," James said, which was just enough to get America to shove him sideways and for Nate to regain his grin. "You sure you want to play this one, Katie?"

Kate glared as she took her spot across from Nate. "I'm on a winning streak. I totally want to play this one."

"Yeah, but are you sure?" James asked, only to get smacked in the chest by America.

"She wants to win, _chico_. No reason to give your idiot brother a chance." America shook her head at him. "Let her do her thing."

Nate and Kate were settled in at the same bucket. The water wasn't terribly deep, but it was still big enough for them to get soaked in if they weren't careful. Not that it was going to make a difference when the two of them squared off. They never could just play a game. It had to be a contest.

"No hands," Ororo reminded them. "And no powers."

"I don't need telekinesis to win," Nate said almost sullenly since, part of what his trouble with getting full control was his unintentional use of telekinesis. And with Katie right there it was a wicked reminder that he still had a way to go. And he hated that fact.

"Come on, little brother," James said. "There's no way you can't win this one."

"Thanks, James," Nate said, smiling crookedly until James continued.

"Your mouth is _way_ bigger than hers."

Nate barely even looked at his brother before he shoved him back a step - aided by his telekinesis, not that it needed to be advertised, and not like James would bust him out on it. "Can we do this thing or what?"

"Waiting on you," Katie said with a smile, and after a quick countdown, the two of them dove into the water face first. Nate was _determined_ , and Katie wanted to keep her winning streak, but … before she could quite isolate one, Nate was up holding one of the bigger apples by the stem between his teeth.

He was grinning around the apple as Katie sat up too, but the smile fell from his face when he realized how soaked she'd gotten and he quickly looked away. Before she could quite figure out what his problem was, Nate was already offering her his overshirt. "You got more soaked than I did," he said quietly, then rushed off once Katie had taken a hold of the offered shirt.

"What was that?" Rachel asked as Nate made his way over to her.

"Nothing," Nate said, still red high on his cheeks. Just trying to be nice. That's all."

Kate spun toward James with a frown as Nate rushed off. "Why did he …"

James cleared his throat and gestured toward her costume. "He probably didn't want you showing off in the impromptu wet t-shirt contest." He shrugged. "Or … he's just like that. Who knows. I'm no telepath." He kicked himself away from the chair he'd been sitting in. "I have to find May and try to talk Spidey down. Probably check on my siblings, too."

"Yeah, make sure he gets his eyes put back into his head," America shouted, then turned back to Kate.

"Worry about yourself, America," James laughed. "See you in a little while… party's almost over." He was still laughing to himself by the time he met up with Nate and Rachel and unceremoniously dropped into the seat next to Nate. "So. Are you okay?"

"I'm _fine_ ," Nate said, rolling his eyes.

"That was so _chivalrous_."

"It's more than you were doing," Nate said, though that only had James laughing to himself.

"Seeing as I had no shirt to share ... I mean … I doubt dropping my pants would have helped her."

"Oh my God," Nate said, covering his eyes with one hand. "I just … _I was trying to help_. And America wasn't-"

"America wasn't complaining," James agreed, cutting him off. "And she wouldn't."

"Not if she got to take a peek," Nate said almost sullenly, though James let out a long and pained sounding sigh.

"America wouldn't complain because you were _helping_ not … being a slimeball."

"I'm _never_ a slimeball," Nate said, sounding insulted, though that wasn't at all what James was trying to insinuate.

"I know - just … you know what? Nevermind. Have fun with Taylor. I'm going to make the rounds before Dad gets here," James said as he got up.

"Too late, he got here a few minutes ago," Rachel said, tipping her head toward the far side of the ballroom. "He's with Spidey. Have fun."

"Will do," James replied, turning on his heel to head toward where their Dad was having a muted chat with Peter and May Parker, though much of that fell to the wayside when Peter spotted him approaching.

"And here we go," Peter said, half frowning at James as he walked up and stood between his Dad and May. "Done causing trouble already?"

"I was just talking to my siblings," James said with a smile as he reached over to hold May's hand - which got a grin out of her anyhow. "So … probably, yeah."

"I'm telling you, you should have seen them earlier," Peter said, shaking his head. "I'm glad you're here to help me break it up."

"Do I need to break it up?" Scott asked, turning toward James with a raised eyebrow, though James only shrugged one shoulder up in response in a very non-committal gesture.

Until very recently, Scott really hadn't needed to worry too much about James and what he was up to with the girls he dated, but things had changed when he started seeing May Parker. Scott _knew_ that James had been the one to kick things off after a few weeks of tutoring her at the tower for a project she was having trouble with at the Midtown High School Science and Technology, but once they had become an item, he watched as James seemed to simply hand the reins to May and let her run the show entirely.

Which meant that at least _Scott_ knew that if they were getting into more adult situations, it wasn't from James _pushing_. "If you don't have a good answer, then it's probably time to call it a night," Scott said, and James honestly didn't argue it at all - which Scott thought should have been a signal to Peter that he wasn't _pushing_. Especially when May made it clear she wasn't pleased with the idea and dragged James off for one more goodnight kiss.

"They've been non-stop all night," Peter said, looking off to where May had disappeared with James. "Pure. Trouble."

"Has he been pushy?" Scott asked, trying to see if he could gently ease his mind.

"No, not really," Peter said, then sighed heavily. "Is it bad that I know I'd really _like_ the kid if he wasn't dating my little girl?"

Scott did a fine job of keeping his smile in check as he shook his head 'no'. "I know exactly what you mean. I feel the same way with anyone Rachel so much as talks about."

Peter turned toward Scott with a perfectly open expression. "Is it easier with boys?"

"No," Scott replied immediately. "No, then you have to worry about everything from a whole different angle. Worry about them making the same mistakes we did at their age …"

"Oh. _Man_. Yeah … I'll just … I'll just try to get used to the _polite_ and agreeable mini-Wolverine. Even if they're … they're just kissing, right? Tell me they're just kissing."

Scott tried not to laugh, though for as concerned as Peter was, he'd have been lying if he said he wasn't also wondering the same thing. "As far as I know."

Across the hall, America was saying goodnight to Katie since her parents had shown up too. It was the weekend, so those that took their kids back for a few days were picking them up a little later than their usual Friday afternoon timeslot.

While Nate and Rachel waited near the front door for their father and James to make it to them, Katie carefully positioned herself to say goodbye to America, who was driving back alone.

"So. I had a great time," Kate said, pulling Nate's shirt around herself a little tighter, but that was all she got out before America grinned and pulled her into an extended kiss that honestly left them both a little breathless for the moment.

"See you soon, Princess," America said, walking backward to the door before she turned on her heel and almost skipped out of there, leaving Kate in the entry with Nate and Rachel for the longest thirty seconds of her life.

Rachel was giving her a raised eyebrow look, though she was also smirking crookedly while Nate had taken an intense interest in his shoes, though the tips of his ears were cherry red.

The standoff lasted less than a minute but time seemed to crawl by the three of them as Scott and made his way over with James in tow. "You ready to go?" Scott asked when he came to a stop near them.

Nate was silent, though Rachel answered for them both. "Waiting on you, Dad."

Scott nodded and spared Katie a smile that she almost missed, though she didn't miss the sign James managed outside of the other's view. _You OK?_ She nodded and smiled, then smiled wider when Nate peeked up and the Summers family got moving, leaving Kate in a haze from the admittedly good kiss with America and the flannel shirt that she had wrapped around herself … that she had no plans on ever returning.


	26. November Thrills

Barely two weeks had passed from Halloween when Tony finally struck - and managed to prank James solidly. It wasn't as simple as a web cartridge gone wrong, but webs _were_ involved. He'd come up from a coffee break - a short one where Clint joined him for the trip to the cafe and James wore his inducer like he did _most_ days. He was still tired from answering the several hundred questions his father had asked him about May and how far they'd taken things - which of course had morphed into a more scarring reiteration of the birds and bees talk, so James wasn't really in the right mindframe to even pay attention to his surroundings like he usually did. Which made him a perfect target.

James walked into his lab, coffee in hand and barely paying attention. He set the coffee down and before he could pull his jacket off, his hands were webbed together in front of him to the bench - inches from his coffee. From there, the light fixture popped and James looked up in time to see a waterfall of foam coming at him. He closed his eyes and tipped his chin to his chest since he _knew_ there was no way to pull away when he was webbed there, and he just _took_ it, though he did bury his face in his hoodie.

Which was fortunate since just before the prank went off, Tony had been called away and the foam was not meant to be left alone for long periods of time.

Jarvis and Happy had come in to get him out of the webbing as soon as they saw that things were amiss -though not before snapping a picture for Tony. Especially since Tony hadn't intended for the prank to go off at all without being in the building himself.

Which was when Katie found herself walking into James' lab and trying not to laugh at the disaster that was half-hardened piles of foam.

"You didn't bring me coffee by chance, did you?" James asked, pushing some of the half set foam into the pile where he'd been trapped not long ago.

"Um. _No_. What is this?" Kate asked, still grinning since James was working in a tee shirt - and the hoodie he'd been wearing was already stiff and stuck upright. It was pretty obvious that he was going to need to change his jeans soon, too.

"I'm told it was a premature trigger on Tony's prank," James said, then paused and turned her way. "I know. You don't even need to say it. That joke speaks for itself."

"No … the joke that speaks for itself is your _hair_. Does that stuff come out?"

James sighed. "No. Wanna shave it off for me?" He gestured to the clippers that Jarvis had set down on a nearby bench. "One time offer. Make me bald."

"Are you serious?"

"Has to happen," James said. "I'd rather have someone who can see the back of my head do it for me _before_ I take a shower." He flicked off a blob of foam from his hand. "This stuff will come off in water if it's still wet, but the stuff on my head is already mostly dry. I'm guessing the idea was that he was going to hit the sprinklers before it set up, but …."

"Yeah, I'll give you the look," Kate said, still giggling to herself as he made his way over to a section of the lab that was untouched by the prank. It wasn't exactly _easy_ to get a few of the spots on the back shaved, but with a little encouragement, Kate managed it all the same.

And James honestly didn't look like himself without his hair. "I'll give you anything you want if you get me a new coffee while I wash up," James offered. "Please? Mine got ruined in the foam explosion."

"You didn't tell me Tony attacked _coffee_ too."

"I know. An insult to the empire. Please? At least get someone good to pick out a flavored latte if you don't want to do it for me."

"You must be miserable if you're asking for flavoring …"

"Kate. I just had you _shave my head_ and now I'm going to try and get this yuck to wash off without taking any _other_ hair with it. If you want me to beg, I'll do it when I get out. But now-"

Kate waved one hand. "Yeah, yeah, please go. You stink anyhow. I'll have it taken care of."

James was sullen as he thanked her and headed off for the gym to wash up. He was very sure the prank would have been better if it had gone off like Tony had intended, but now, he found himself jogging to get to the water quicker as his jeans were starting to harden up more and he didn't want to have to peel them off his legs. He was cursing the foam as he scrubbed off bits of it that had cured entirely. It came off his skin easily enough, but it took hair with it so by the time James was done, he was a little grumpy for the bald patches on his arms and legs.

But it had also given Kate plenty of time to not only get a coffee for him - that she was sure to order with caramel, chocolate _and_ marshmallow - but she also had come up with at least a dozen _wonderful_ zingers to accompany his new-found cue-ball look.

She grinned when James called out asking if she had his coffee and spun in place only to lose her smile entirely and stare when James finished walking toward her in new clothes … and with half an inch of dark fuzz already growing on his head.

"You're wonderful, Katie, thank you," James said as he took the coffee, trying desperately to ignore the way she was staring at his head, even when she started to walk around him. Instead of stopping her, though, he simply took a drink, and had to work harder at not making the face he wanted to when he realized how _sweet_ it was. But that wasn't as distracting as how she was still openly _staring_ at him. After she'd gone all the way around him, she still kept staring until finally James closed his eyes and let out a huff.

"Alright I _know_ ," James said with a tone of irritation. "Apparently I grow hair, okay? It's a _thing._ "

" _You robbed me of all my jokes!_ " Kate said almost in a breath. "Since when is _hair_ one of your superpowers?"

"Kate …"

"No! I want to know! What kind of a power is that anyhow?"

James scrubbed his hand over his eyes and dropped onto the couch. "I have no idea. I just want my coffee, okay?"

"What do you mean you have no idea? About the hair? How could you _not_ know that? Its your _hair_."

"Kate … can we not talk about this, please?"

Kate shook her head a few times but finally leaned against the wall, taking out her phone so she could text Nate her reactions if James was gonna be self-conscious about it.

_Your brother's secondary mutation is that he can go from bald to having a buzz cut in the time it takes me to get coffee. How's your morning?_

_He's not old enough for a secondary mutation. But that's just weird. It's so quiet here. We don't have impromptu buzz cuts for no good reason. Just English Lit with Ororo._

_I got to shave your brother's head. Ha._

_No you didn't. You would have sent pictures._

_You can ask him if you need verification. I was_ gonna _take pictures when I got back with coffee; how was I supposed to know the cue-ball look vanished that fast?_

_How fast are we talking and can we test this theory this weekend?_

_I won't be party to shaving his head when Mom only ever lets me go out on group or double dates and I_ need _him for that._

There was a long break where it was clear Nate was typing, deleting, and typing again several times. _What about if you just documented it? I think I can hold him down with the TK._

 _That's a good loophole. I'll think about it,_ Kate texted back with a growing grin.

 _You know. Unless you're totally busy and_ can't. _I get it._

 _You act like I'm the socialite of Bed Stuy or something,_ Kate shot back.

_You kinda are. All the group activities and checking your schedule._

_Are you jealous?_

_Bored. My weekends are open outside of whatever Dad has planned._

_Doesn't sound like you. Last I saw, you had groupies._

_What groupies? I didn't see any._

_Aww shucks, ma'am, I didn't notice the blonde hanging on me or the other three giving her jealous looks..._

_I don't know what you're talking about there, Katie. I thought you heard I ditched the pushy one? You know. For being pushy. And wanting me to talk to her telepathically all the time. She wanted a_ link up.

Kate could feel her whole face flushing as she tried to not sound or look or smell any different to James when he was in the room too. _Oh. That's news to me. I'm sorry she was that pushy, especially when I know your family history with link ups._

_You called it. The pushiness._

_I did, but I didn't know it was THAT bad._

_It wasn't until after Halloween. I don't know what her problem was. Doesn't matter though._

Kate bit her lip. _Well, you're always welcome to hang out. You know that, right?_

_Now I do. Maybe coffee then if you can get coffee with my brother and half the tower, one more won't hurt, right?_

_Not at all. Join the fun._

_I have to say, ma'am, it's been an awfully long time since we got the group together. Without it being some big official whatever. And May really is funny when she gets going, FYI._

_I know! She and Cassie and Lexi are actually the best teamup ever, and then add in Dani Cage? You've been missing out not growing up with us Avengers._

_Hey, Dad could barely handle James being up there as much as he has been. He'd probably have died if we all were going there that often._

_Yeah, true. And I do get it. I mean, my dad went through the five stages of grief when we found out Lexi was a mutant because he's so worried she'll get hurt because of it._

_He does know that she's just got a different gene and not like … she's not actively dying. Right?_

_He does, but my family has also been the point of contact for yours when the worst comes knocking on your doors, remember? And Dad's always been a worrier._

_Yeah, trying to forget. It's been a while. Crap. Now I need to knock on wood or something. Hey. Hit my brother in the head for me, would you?_

Kate laughed out loud and then hid it behind her hand, even though she knew James had heard her. _I miss you. Hurry up and finish your telepathic work!_

 _I'm trying_ , Nate replied. _It just seems like I start to get the TK balanced and the telepathy goes haywire. Or the other way around. Just to screw with me._

_Well, let's make a game out of it. I'll bring my bow over and yell PULL and you TK something for me to shoot._

_If you come over with your bow, it's just going to be to lose at a shooting contest. And you just said you missed hanging out._

_You can't beat me without your TK and you know it._

_Sure I can. Happy to prove it, too. I'll even keep proving it until you can accept it._

_You, me, a dampener to make sure you can't cheat, and a range. Saturday morning when we come to get Lexi._

_You're on. Scardey-hawk._

_I literally don't understand how you can think that when I'm the one laying down the challenge. Unless you think I'm scared for asking for a dampener, in which case: Manipulative Telepath Trying to Cheat Alert._

_That is a highly specific alert and only applicable to my sister, thanks._

_Mmm, no. I know about the Cuckoos and their mom._

_That … is not really a parental situation. Budding, I think._

_Whatever. Point is, cheating telepaths. You're scared to go without your powers, aren'tcha?_

_Not even a little bit. And I'll even use the crappy school bow to beat you._

_Nope. Not gonna give you the excuse to lessen MY victory. Best bows. And I'll still wipe the floor with you and you'll have nothing and no one to blame but yourself._

Nate started to type up a response, and Katie waited with a grin to see what his retort would be … only instead of a text, her phone rang.

"Calling to forfeit, scaredy cat?" she sang out.

"Calling to remind you that even if they're easily distracted, I can't have even my favorite Hawkeye distracting my students during class," Ororo said.

Kate let out an eep. Even if Natasha had ultimately adopted her, Ororo had always been like a second mom to her since she'd helped rescued her, so this was a pretty serious call-out. "Right. Right. Sorry!"

"I'll be happy to supervise Saturday morning, however," Ororo said.

"Awww, you're the best, Stormy!" Kate said, grinning wider than before. "Love you. Tell everyone there I said hi!" With that, she quickly hung up before she could get in actual _trouble_ , then slipped out to go practice archery.

* * *

_I can't believe my Dad is making me go to Westchester. There is nothing to do out here in the sticks. We don't even have neighbors!_

James sat back at his workbench with his cell phone in hand. It had been all of three days and he was getting constant texts from May since her father had decided she needed to learn to control her powers - mutant or not. And James was trying very hard to walk the tightrope of good, supportive boyfriend and some kind of responsible party. _It's not permanent_ , he texted back. _And even if you're smarter than most of the kids there, you're going to get in trouble with Ororo if you keep texting in class._

_Am I bothering you?_

_No. But I don't want to get blamed when you get busted. Call when you get a break. I'll keep the phone nearby._

There was a pause before May wrote back - though it wasn't what James was expecting. _I didn't think you'd take his side._

_Not taking sides, Mayday. Seriously. I'm right here. Call when you can do it without getting in trouble. I'll be waiting._

James spun a slow circle on his stool. She'd be mad. Of course, she would. She haed when James pointed out that she wasn't sneaky enough to get away with things like this and she hated when he was right, which was more often than May would admit to - even when it was blatantly obvious - but he didn't like to point it out. Because pointing it out always ended up biting him in the backside. But that didn't make waiting around to see how mad she was at him any easier.

He _knew_ that May thought she had her powers under control, and James knew that simply wasn't the case. She didn't know her own strength, for one thing, and had accidentally sent him flying once or twice. And for another, her spider-sense was entirely unreliable to the point that she found herself flinching at things hat weren't a threat and ignoring things that were sometimes. And James had more than a couple of shirts that had been ripped when she'd rested her hand on him - and then found herself unable to _let go_ before she panicked.

In spite of all of that, James hadn't breathed a word about it to anyone - and he had no plans to. But it was pretty clear that May didn't entirely believe that was the case. She didn't realize how much her father had struggled with that powerset on getting it overnight as opposed to May's slow ease in. And she didn't realize how watching her make similar mistakes was honestly scarring for Peter to watch. Instead, she mistakenly assumed that James was on much better speaking terms with her father than had _ever_ been the case, and she didn't appreciate it.

James had _no_ idea how to address it, let alone handle it. But again, it wasn't something he thought he had much say in, and he wasn't about to ask for romantic advice from _anyone_ at the tower. At all.

So James simply went back to studying. He had some major tests to take in a few short weeks, and Tony had made it clear he expected great things out of his little golden boy. So James put his mind to his work and honestly lost track of how much time had passed before his phone chimed. He'd assumed May was finally reaching out again, so he wasn't expecting the text to come from _Mia,_ or for it to consist of one line and a picture of Mia, Lexi, and _Cassie Lang_.

_I guess all the cool Avengers kids are going here now! We're being invaded! Send Katie!_

James shook his head at the photo then took a picture of his textbook to reply with. _Love to send help but they all got scared off by a little homework. YOU send help._

He wasn't expecting her to respond with an enthusiastic " _Will do!_ " Or for them to show up not fifteen minutes later with Natasha grinning at him.

"Check the timestamp in the photo's file next time," she advised as the girls paraded into the lab. "They were coming in for a tour of the tower ad I talked Storm into letting MIa out with an inducer."

"You missed it," Mia said, grinning as she looked around the lab with a grin. It had been a couple years since she'd been to the tower - and it was her first trip to see what Tony had set James up with to work and tinker in. "I was a blonde with blue eyes."

"I could program it to look like you without the fur," James offered, then turned to Natasha. "Unless that's a security breach."

"It would be much less of one if you wore yours for more than entering and exiting the tower," Natasha said as she ran her fingers through his hair. "You're all grown out again."

James jerked his head away from her hand. "Yeah. No one told me it did that."

"It's one of those little things we didn't think about until we saw _you_ doing it."

"Any more of those I should know about?" James asked dryly.

Natasha smiled to herself as she watched him. "Very likely. I'll let you know when it happens."

"Thanks, _Mom_ ," Lexi called out. "I think we can finish our tour on our own now."

"I don't think Ororo intended for this to be a social call."

"Too bad, it is," Lexi countered with a grin even as May drifted over to where James was with a trouble making look. "You _said_ James was hanging out with questionable kids when he isn't with his friends."

"That was before _those two_ started dating," Natasha said, gesturing to James and May.

"I _do_ need a coffee break," James said, smiling to himself as he pulled May over with one arm so he could wrap her up from behind.

"And I need cocoa," Lexi said.

"Me too," Mia echoed, with Cassie nodding her head in agreement.

"We can wait for Katie and America if you want," James offered. "I know Katie was more or less done with her English paper just a little bit ago, so it's just a matter of time before America shows up."

"You don't mind hanging out with all the girls, then?" Natasha asked with a sparkle of trouble of her own.

"Hell no," James said, frowning. "Feeling pretty well protected, to be honest. We've got a super strong webhead, a teleporting _blonde_. Today. A dimension kicker, an ant-girl, and a Hawkeye … I think Lexi and I are safe enough with this crew."

"And you girls don't mind keeping James _safe_?" Natasha asked with a laugh, knowing full well what the response would be, even if she hadn't expected James to take _that_ route with his argument.

"Oh, I _guess_ we can keep people away from him. If we _have to_ ," Mia said with a laugh, then turned toward Natasha. "Please? I promise we'll just go for coffee and come back with snacks."

"You _can't_ get in trouble with Mia there," Natasha said as she pointed at James. "Take a comm or you won't leave this tower without an escort."

"Yeah, okay, fine," James agreed - just to get out of the tower for a few minutes. His trips out had been few and far between with Cassie and May in Westchester - and always chaperoned by _someone_. Even when it was just Happy.

"Then stay close - and _only_ to the cafes I cleared for you. _Please._ " Natasha held James' gaze until he nodded, though she wasn't convinced that he would follow her terms. He had all sorts of trouble doing so on his own. Maybe with the girls directing traffic it would go easier… "Girls … you know my rules. Make sure he sticks to them."

James let out a deep sigh as the girls around him agreed - which meant any troublemaking would be a lot harder for him to manage. Or it would seem that way, anyhow. It _was_ just a little trip for coffee and snacks. And by the time they met up with Katie and America, the girls had already picked out which cafe they wanted to go to - which meant James really was just along for the ride.

Which was how Cassie, Lexi, and Mia led the charge, though they were chatting with Katie - which mostly left James and May to follow behind them by a good length, holding hands and honestly enjoying the chance to spend a few minutes - even if it was on a public street. Even if they were heavily chaperoned, too. And as expected, at the cafe as the rest of their group spent their time chatting and catching up, May was making up for lost time with stolen kisses that had Mia blushing brightly.

"It's not like he's going off to _war_ or something," Katie laughed as she threw a napkin at the two of them.

"No, you're right. It's more like _I am_ seeing as I'm two _hours_ away at boarding school," May countered, throwing the napkin right back at her. "Besides - it's not like you and America aren't sucking face every chance you get after school!"

"Mayday, don't," James said, automatically trying to buffer a little for Katie when she turned bright red. "Please."

On hearing his tone, she backed off, but didn't quite understand why he'd want to back off - especially when he was the one with the rep for picking. But … on seeing how sincere James looked and how embarrassed Katie was, May did decide to back off. If nothing else, then to go back to what she was doing.

"Kinda not a shock _at all_ that you and Kate are getting along," May said quietly to James - her tone low enough that she knew only he'd hear her.

"Yeah?" James asked. "You and Nate taking up a lot of time in your similar misery?"

"I really want to get back to basketball," May agreed. "And I know I'm getting close already, I just don't know if Dad will _let me_."

"Sure he will," James said. "If you want to make a thing out of it, put yourself in competition with Nate. See who can get it together faster."

"That might work," she said, nodding. "Of course … you keep finding out new things about your mutation, too … who's to say _you_ don't need to go learn how to cope?"

"Mayday, what I do is passive." James took a moment to take her hand and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "There isn't anything they can do there to help me, and I've learned how to deal with what I do already."

"But you might have a new mutation," she said with a grin.

"I don't think my hair growing stupid fast is something I need coping help with."

"You are missing the boat, mister."

"Maybe, but I'm also enjoying my time with Dad," James admitted. "And I doubt anyone would believe me if I suddenly said I needed _help_ with my senses, or … whatever."

"Do you have to be logical about it?" May laughed as she curled into his side.

"I can try not to," James replied and the group continued their discussion about the upcoming break.

People were already scurrying for the Christmas season to start and May and Cassie both had plans to go watch the tree lighting at Rockefeller Center with their families. May opened her mouth to try and invite James along, but stopped herself when she remembered how much his family carefully avoided large crowds like that. The discussion fizzled when it was plainly clear that Mia _longed_ to go to a gathering like that. It was still a rough adjustment for most of the Avenger's kids to remember how difficult it was to be a mutant, unless of course they _were_ .. and May and Cassie were _not._

"Oh, crap, mom is going to be mad," Kate said as she leaned away from America suddenly. "We're running behind. We need to start back before she sends out a search party."

"And we can't have that," America said in a sigh. America had been _trying_ to get a little more traction with Katie, but she kept coming up with excuses that felt like they didn't have much weight to them. They'd only been on _one_ date that wasn't a double since Halloween.

"Can we at least take the long way?" Cassie asked. "For the air?"

"Yes," James agreed as he left a tip on the table to cover all of them. "We need the long way."

The kids were pulling their coats on - and Cassie took an extra moment to tie her scarf a few steps from the group when a man behind her bumped into her. "Oh, excuse me. Sorry. I didn't mean to bump into you."

"It's alright," the man said, though he'd looked supremely irritated until he saw her. "Aren't you a little cutie? Pretty girl like you needs a smile on."

Cassie blushed and pulled her jacket around her a little tighter. "Oh. Okay …"

"Come on, _chika_ ," America called out, waving for Cassie to catch up, which she did - _gladly_. But she didn't see the guy and his friend when they followed her out of the cafe.

The group formed up much like they had on the way to get their coffee, and James for one, was carrying back a tall latte as he walked hand in hand with May. The two of them really didn't look like they were part of the bigger group of girls by the time they hit the end of the block. A few pairs of people had gotten between them and their group … including the two men who were following Cassie.

At first, James didn't hear what they were saying … and then when he did, he unconsciously let go of May's hand as he watched them talk about 'that little cutie'. He frowned and narrowed his eyes trying to determine who it was they were talking about since there were several attractive women walking amid the group. As James looked at the shifting crowd, the comments got more graphic about _one_ of the women ahead of him on the sidewalk. Or he thought it was about one of the women, anyhow. America and Kate were at the head of the pack - and a few more people had gotten between them and Cassie, too, but James could _see_ something was wrong when America turned and looked over her shoulder at the guys.

"She's so beautiful. I wish she wasn't so young …"

"She could pass for sixteen with a little makeup. Maybe a pushup bra..."

The two men chuckled and James felt the blood drain from his face when he realized it wasn't the _grown women_ ahead of him they were talking about. It was someone in his group of friends - and every one of them was well under 18. May said something to James and squeezed his hand to get his attention. When he turned, he saw that she clearly had caught up to the presence of trouble, too. So they needed a plan.

Before he could come up with something though, he caught the scents coming off of the men .. and one of them finally took a few quick steps to whisper over Cassie's shoulder. James didn't even hear all of it. Just "Sweetie, I'd love to be the first guy to-" before he dropped his coffee and burst forward, pushing the people between himself and Cassie out of the way. As the stranger put his hand on Cassie's waist, James grabbed a hold of the back of his jacket and picked him up bodily before slamming him into the nearest building face first.

Cassie squeaked as James began beating on the guy. He hadn't given a warning to him,and he didn't even speak as he just kept hammering him. James got in half a dozen hard hits that echoed with cracks before his buddy realized what was going on and tried to help, but by then, America had caught up and didn't ask any questions before she started beating on the buddy, leaving the rest of the group in honest shock at how quickly a simple walk had turned sour.

The only one who really _knew_ why James was so mad was Cassie - and she was half scared at seeing him lose his temper. She'd _never_ seen him do that, and she'd been around him plenty at the tower growing up. There were a few people that had backed up and were watching in horror … until James finally ground out "You can't talk to her like that! She's _eleven_ , you sick sack of shit!"

He kept pounding on him - even after America had stopped hitting her guy before the cops showed up, but only just. With every hit James delivered, the creep's head rebounded off of the concrete before two uniformed police officers rounded the corner, then started shouting as they broke into a run.

One of them, a tall, broad, Black guy pulled James off bodily, looking surprised at how much hassle that was, though James stopped trying to pull loose when he realized it was a cop that had pulled him back. "What do you think you're doin' boy?" the cop shouted. "You can't fight in the streets!"

"That pervert put his hands on my friend," James said, his voice shaking for how angry he was. "She's _eleven_ and he thought he could ...!" He cut himself off, not trusting himself not to threaten the guy's life in front of the two police officers. And he wanted to.

The two cops shared a look. "Anyone else able to back that story up?" the other cop asked, even as the first cop got started putting James in handcuffs.

Cassie looked upset when she saw that James was getting in trouble and quickly spoke up. "Yes, it's all true. That guy and his friend said all kinds of gross stuff and he told me what he wanted to … he had his hand on my waist," she said. "James was just trying to get him off me. I swear."

"You got any ID on you, son?" the first cop asked James quietly, though it was loud enough that most of the girls there caught it and held their breath. No way around it - this was bad.

"Back right pocket of my jeans," James said through his teeth, holding his hands out of the way so the cop could get the ID out. "I'm not old enough for a driver's license."

The second cop laughed. "Sure, kid. If you say so. But we're gonna need some real ID out of you."

"Come on, son, you're gonna have to do better than this," the first cop said as he looked over James' passcard for Stark Tower. "They sell these on the street to tourists. I need a real form of identification."

"That's all I've got. Just … take me to the tower and they'll verify it," James said, but the second cop was laughing outright as Katie quickly called her father on her cell phone. This was spiraling out of hand _fast._

"No, what we're gonna do is take you to the station and run you through every database known to man until we figure out who you _really_ are." He shook his head. "We're not wasting time for anyone at Stark's place."

"Am I being arrested?" James asked through clenched teeth, knowing that it was going to be a disaster if that was the case. All that cop needed to do was put his name in the computer or use facial recognition and _Logan_ would come up. If not for name correlation, then because the facial markers were likely earmarked by weapons agencies who were _looking_ for him… and that would be it. "Because if you are, I think you need to run the idiot that was groping my _very_ underage friend."

"I _am_ eleven," Cassie said. "And he did put his hands on me and said .. some stuff I'm probably going to need a therapist for."

The two cops shared a look and the second officer made his way over to check the unconscious man out, though once he picked up the wallet that fell out of the man's jacket, it was just a matter of a few minutes over the radio before _that_ guy's ID came back … with an arrest warrant out for being a sexual offender that had neglected his registration requirements. Which meant that even if James was _technically_ in the wrong, neither cop was going to go out of their way to cause _him_ grief when he had practically gift wrapped a dangerous offender for them.

It wasn't that they _wouldn't_ have arrested James … it was just with all of the kids swearing up and down that James was a minor and too young for ID _and_ with Cassie crying as she told the full story, all it took was for Clint to come rushing around the corner ready for a fight to clear the air.

Though Clint had been on the team nearly from the beginning, his _face_ still wasn't one that was entirely recognizable to most of the residents of the city, but after he produced _his_ ID and vouched for knowing all of the kids there, at least the cops weren't ready to arrest James for beating the guy up. But the first cop _didn't_ want to hand James over to Clint.

"If it's all the same to you," the tall Black guy said. "I'd like to have a word with his parents about what happened today, and no offense, but legally, I can't release him to you - superhero or not."

The cop's partner looked vindicated at hearing it since _many_ of the city's police force wasn't too keen on all that even the Avengers did. But hearing that he was refusing one of them had the second officer in a good mood as he turned toward Clint and the first officer. "I'll handle these two if you want to take the kid," he said.

"Yeah, I got him," the first cop said.

"Officer …"

"Officer Wright."

"Okay. Officer Wright, really," Clint said, trying to keep it from escalating. "I know his Dad. He's in major trouble even without anything official on the record-"

"I'll need to talk to the boy's father, that's all there is to it," Officer Wright said. "Unless this kid's some kinda supervillain. If that's the case, speak up and I'll rush him through for you."

"I could be," James said under his breath, but not only did Clint miss part of it, Officer Wright caught it and actually found the humor in it.

"Yeah, you're real diabolical," Officer Wright said. "Beatin' down some loser cat callin' little girls. The city quakes." He leaned toward Clint. "Still can't do it though, and my choices are take him to his parents or bring him in. I'm tryin' to take it easy on him and just bring him home - keep pushin' and I'll change my mind."

Clint glanced at James, half holding his breath before he made a decision. "They live in my apartment building," Clint said. "So we can compromise. We'll all go together, huh?"

"That sounds good. You won't have any trouble tellin' me where to take him."

Clint sighed but nodded all the same, knowing better than to push and get James in more trouble when that could be disastrous in _so_ many ways. "Just let me call his dad and make sure he's home," he said, already gesturing for Lexi and Katie to head back with him while he got Scott on the phone and quickly told him to come home - _to the apartment_ , he was careful to specify. Cassie and May were already redirecting Mia - and America was gladly playing bodyguard to be sure the three of them met up with whichever Avenger was waiting at the corner for them - keeping distance so as not to draw any _more_ attention.


	27. Sentencing

Scott was at the apartment in Bed Stuy when the parade found its way there, looking stressed already because the apartment was supposed to be a secure backup - and even more stressed when he saw that there was a police escort. "What happened?" Scott asked.

"From what I saw, it was a public beat down," Officer Wright said. "But then I heard the story."

Scott's entire expression tightened as he thought of the many times James' parents had lost their tempers, and he motioned the officer - and James - inside. "James?" He had both eyebrows raised, not only at the story but at the fact that James' inducer wasn't on - and they had only been blocks from the tower.

"I lost my temper," James said carefully, trying _not_ to think of what he'd heard from the creep while also trying to remember exactly what he'd done to the guy. "This idiot was harassing the girls."

"James, you damn well better have a better reason than street harassment," Scott said, his mouth tight as he almost breathed the words out.

"He put his hands on _Cassie_ , Dad," James replied through his teeth, doing his best to keep from growling - successfully.

For a long time, Scott stood where he was in the entryway, a muscle working in his jaw, since that was, in fact, a good reason to lose his temper. He'd probably have done the same. The problem, of course, was that James was standing there with a police officer, and that meant _records_. But he couldn't bring himself to scold James when he'd done the right thing protecting Cassie, either.

Officer Wright cleared his throat. "Officially, no one saw anything," he said. "But I wasn't so sure my partner wouldn't go for bein' a pain since the boy didn't have any identification on him to speak of. Figured it would cause more trouble than help anyone if he went down to the station." The cop still hadn't shown his cards on what he thought of all of it, though he started to as he watched Scott try not to react. "The guy your boy beat half through a brick wall was a registered offender, by the way."

Scott nodded slowly, doing his best to _not_ look like he was already running through the myriad of ways this could go wrong and the dozens of backup places he'd need to vet so they could start over. "My son doesn't lose his temper like that, Officer," Scott said at last. "Not without _very_ good reason."

"I can believe it," Officer Wright said. "If nothing else, than because he didn't try to fight _me_ when I pulled him off the guy, though I still didn't hear the full story - I think that aside from doin' our fine city a _service_ … this young man needs to try and keep from doin' my job for me until he can carry identification at the very least."

Scott nodded, though he was still watching James carefully. "Our family tends to keep to themselves. This particular asshole managed to go out of his way to step into James' path with his stupidity. I promise it's not a regular occurrence."

"The perpetrator was stalking an eleven year old girl." Officer Wright nodded his head then watched James for a moment himself. "I'm sure that if takin' up hero work was a regular thing for your boy, I'd know about it. Now … we did search him. Standard procedure, I did it myself, so _this_ ," he said as he handed Scott James' things - including the inducer. "Can stay between us, though I think that if he'd been _hit_ while he was using it, it would have caused more of a stir when it broke and I _guarantee_ my partner would have hauled him in with backup."

Scott stared at the inducer for a long time, knowing they were caught and knowing there was no way around it. "Damn," was all he managed to say.

"I'm not gonna say a word," Officer Wright said. "Not to anyone. Not ever. I got no room to talk, anyhow."

Scott finally looked up at Officer Wright again, the lines etched in his face even more apparent than usual. "You don't understand," he said in a breath. "If anyone knows-"

"No, I think I do," Officer Wright said as he gestured at Scott. "Pretty distinctive callin' card there. But I'm not sayin' anything, and my partner was too excited to arrest the guy that got the beat down that I don't think he realized the kid's strength." He turned back to James. "Lay low for a while, get a hair cut or somethin', too, because you do not look like your Dad here."

"I'll handle it," Scott said.

Officer Wright offered Scott his hand to shake, and made sure to give him his card, too. "You come up on any trouble, let me know. I'm just gonna make sure any traffic cams near there go blank before I call it a day."

Scott blinked his surprise at the officer. "You don't have to put your career on the line."

"I'm not lettin' anyone look too hard at the kid," he said. "Definitely not over some scumbag that was askin' for it." He shrugged. "Chances are good one of the higher ups already did it anyhow. Don't want the guy's lawyers sayin' we missed out on doin' our job." He leaned toward Scott slightly. "And between you and me? If he'd _had_ ID on, they'd probably want to throw him a parade."

"Which wouldn't help us, really," Scott muttered.

"No, it would not," he agreed. "I'll leave you to deal with this between you, but … you know where I stand with it. Really just wanted to see the kid get home myself. No offense, but the Avengers don't have the best track record with our kind. I wasn't gonna blindly trust 'em."

"I appreciate it, really," Scott said as he put a hand on James' shoulder, waiting until Officer Wright was gone before he tipped his head toward the living room so he and James could sit down for a more _private_ chat.

James didn't say a word as he followed Scott's nonverbal cues and took a seat, waiting for the reaming out he _knew_ was coming. But unlike when Nate knew he was in for it, James felt no desire to defend himself _ahead_ of Scott or whatever he had to say. He understood it - and he understood why the cop had handled it like he had, but the truth was that James was pretty ticked off at himself for not keeping a handle on it and for not using the damn inducer more, though the cop was right. One solid hit and the inducer would have made a much bigger mess.

Scott was silent for a long time before he finally put his other hand on James' other shoulder to look him in the face. "First thing's first," he said evenly, "you didn't do a damn thing wrong when it came to the guy who came after Cassie. I don't know that I would have been any more elegant about it myself, considering her age, not to mention the fact that I know she hasn't had the same training you kids have had about watching her surroundings."

"That was on me," James said. "I should have stuck closer to her."

Scott shook his head. "No, don't start on that," he said. "Any one of you kids would have been enough to stop this guy. Frankly, from what I've heard, I'm surprised you beat May or America to the punch."

"They couldn't hear him."

"Ah." Scott nodded. He seemed to think over what to say next before he asked, "How's Cassie?"

"I don't know," James admitted. "I didn't get to talk to her without the cops around. I honestly don't know how _any_ of them are. America took out the guy's buddy that was just as nasty. I don't know how anyone is though. I saw America take the other girls to the tower. I think Jan was waiting for them at the corner."

"We'll head over to the Bartons later, then. I'm sure Clint and Natasha are waiting to hear if they need to help us move." Scott took a deep breath and let it out. "James, you were incredibly, _incredibly_ lucky that Officer Wright is a mutant too. You get that, right?"

James nodded, his gaze on the ground.

"You know the security we put in place is there for a _reason_ , James. I'm glad you have a group of friends, and I don't want you to lose that, but I need you to be responsible. The Avengers don't always remember how different it is for us - and their kids have no reason to know either, outside of Katie and Lexi."

"I know," James agreed quietly.

Scott nodded and let his breath out in a rush. "I'll talk to Stark. Officer Wright was right; you do need to lay low for a while. Let's you and I go fishing." He smiled lightly. "It would do us both some good, and besides, it would let Natasha watch for any activity at either of our houses while we, ah, _don't_ celebrate your heroic rescue. Or something."

James looked up at Scott with a concerned expression. "No. Really. Is this a lay low thing or are we scouting somewhere to go?"

Scott shook his head. "I've had the next place scouted since Luke crashed the soccer match. This really is just you and me laying low." He paused, then added, "And I meant what I said: I'm not mad about you standing up for Cassie. It's the security breach that I'm worried about. But with that guy? You protected your friend from someone who meant to do her harm."

"Just sorry I didn't put him through the stupid wall," James grumbled.

Scott smirked. "Hey," he said, "once we get out where no one's around to interrupt or overhear us, I'm going to have to tell you about the guys I _did_ put through walls," he said, tapping the side of his temple. "It's a hazard of living in this family: we can't stand aside when the people we love are in trouble."

James was pensive as he weighed out how to say what he really _thought_. "I can't even say it was that, Dad." James looked up at him with a perfectly open expression. "I thought the guy was talking about someone else that wasn't even in our group at first, but if he would have touched her … I don't think it would have gone any different. Not with what I was getting off the guy."

Scott looked thoughtful for a long time and then reached out to affectionately ruffle James' hair and rest his hand at the side of James' neck. "That… you get from Logan and K," he said. "If they saw a kid in trouble or a man trying to take advantage of a woman, nothing I said could have stopped either of them. Not that I would have tried hard knowing what they were stopping, mind you… but it was like a switch flipped with them." He smiled tightly, the same way he always did when he talked about the teammates he'd lost. "It was honestly one of their best qualities. Made me want to be better about standing up for everyone around me, too."

James honestly didn't know what to say - or how to react to that, so instead, he simply _didn't_. Not when he knew that it was rare for Scott to talk about them like that, and he wasn't sure how he felt about either of them. Especially if it was anything that _might_ have been tied in to the mutation.

Finally, Scott let his shoulders drop and got to his feet, offering James a hand up. "Let's go down the hall and let the Bartons know we're heading out and asking them to watch the places for a while. I'm sure they're worried - and we should check on Cassie, too. Her dad will probably have a fit when he hears the story."

"Clint was having trouble getting the cops to listen to him," James said.

"Clint is a former criminal with very little facial recognition from the public in spite of his position on the team. He also still hasn't learned how to speak to the cops like an Avenger and not a kid trying not to get caught stealing. This does not surprise me," Scott said dryly.

"That kind of explains everything," James agreed quietly as they crossed the hall. "Can we tell him I'm going to super-max?"

Scott smirked. "Nah, we'll tell him you're running away to the circus. He'll have a stroke right in the kitchen."

"Awesome. As long as I'm not the _archer._ "

* * *

"Don't you love how we didn't do anything wrong, but we still end up being grounded somehow?" Nate asked as he dropped into the seat next to his sister. They'd gotten the message from their Dad, who assured them that it was only a precaution to keep all three of them more or less grounded for their own safety, and how as an extra step in paranoia, he and James _weren't_ coming by the school on the way out of town so as not to draw attention to the school in case they were seen or followed.

"We're not grounded."

"He's taking James fishing, you know that's what's going on, right?"

"And?"

"And … when I get busted it's actual grounding."

"And the last time I got in any trouble, Ororo took me out for ice cream," Rachel pointed out. _It's all just a matter of how it happened. You_ fight _with Dad. This? Come on. Mia told us what the story was. This trip to the woods is just as much for Dad to relax a little as it is to get James away from anyone that might see him. And we're only on restriction because they might look this way to find him. It's a precaution, baby brother._

_Yeah, I know, it's just … of course he ends up taking a vacation as soon as the angel-child steps out of line a little._

_It's not a vacation._

_It's not a punishment either. And blowing up Natasha's security isn't good for any of us._

_True. But …_

_Cassie didn't deserve what happened, I know._

_And you wish you'd gone on the fishing trip,_ Rachel surmised. _Dad will take you if you want him to. Might do you good._

_I don't want to go fishing, Rach. And they're probably going to end up being gone for James' birthday the way this is rolling. Which … okay, that's fine. We did your sweet sixteen in Oregon and we had my last three with Alex in Hawaii - and James has never asked to be anywhere special for his, I just … I guess maybe I wanted to do something with all of us for that this year?_

Rachel sighed heavily, but wasn't sure how best to reassure her little brother. Not when nothing she said seemed to make a dent in how miserable he was. "You have to tell Dad if you want to do something with just him," Rachel said finally.

"Yeah, I know," Nate agreed with a heavy tone. "It's James too, though. I'm so tired of watching him act like he doesn't want anything ever. And it's hard to try and change that when we're here and supposed to be working on control."

"So," Rachel said turning his way fully and holding his gaze. "Let's get to work. We have no where to go, neither one of us has any distractions … and I can help you get a handle on it if you let me." _And that would mean getting back to your teams and your friends._

Nate finally cracked a smile and nodded to himself. "Thanks, Rachel."

"Any time, little brother."

* * *

The trip to the cabin Scott had picked out was a long one, and once they got there, James and Scott had a whole lot to get done just to use the place. It was one of the Howletts' old places, though it had been mostly untouched since their death. Natasha had been there shortly after everything had gone south for the X-Men and packaged up most of the personal effects decorating the place. Not because she was getting rid of it, more because at the time, she didn't know which place Scott wanted to use to hide the kids - so she prepped several by going through them and putting away most of the photos and momentos that might have triggered a very young and freshly traumatized James.

But she'd also put away most of the soft items - blankets and pillows were packaged up in heavy plastic and secured in trunks that mice couldn't get in to destroy. So while Scott was clearing out the dust, James pulled in the firewood from the shed. And while Scott started the fire in the old wood burner, James was put to work setting up the beds for the two of them to use for their stay, only … as he was making the bed in the master bedroom, he went still slowly.

There was a scent clinging to the blankets that was deeply familiar, but mostly forgotten and James was honestly confused as to what the scent meant … or why he felt so calm on breathing it in. It was an odd combination on its own … spruce that didn't match the scents of the wood walls around him mingled with cigar smoke, motor oil, fresh hay, ozone, and leather.

He closed his eyes and stood there with the blanket halfway to his nose, overwhelmed with the desire to just … curl up and wrap himself in it and _sleep_. It didn't take him very long to convince himself to do exactly that, either, and before Scott had the fire going well, James kicked off his shoes and crawled into bed with the blanket clutched around himself tightly. He rubbed his face into the pillow, trying to make the scent last longer, trying to surround himself in it more completely - and as his chest began to feel a crushing weight and his eyes prickled at the edges from a scent he couldn't even fathom letting go, James fell asleep.

It took Scott a little while to catch up to him, and in all honesty, he didn't even think to look for him until the fire was crackling away cheerfully and putting out a fair bit of heat, and then, his only thought was to get dinner going, but when he found James curled up in a ball like he used to do all the time as a three year old, Scott was hit by a similar pang in his chest that James had felt. Even to his nose, Scott could smell the scents on the blanket, though no where near as acutely as James had to have. The way his nose was buried in the fabric was like watching him as a three year old again when they had first gone to Logan's cabin … but this was K's place near Lake Superior. It was the spot _she_ had preferred to hide out at when she needed a break.

He backed out of the room slowly, deciding on the spot not to mention it at all to James unless he asked. He had no idea if James would make the connection on his own, or if he knew already where they were. All Scott knew for sure was that James wouldn't have crashed that hard that fast unless he _needed_ it. And one thing Scott refused to do was take that away from him if he needed it.

Dinner could wait. Fishing could wait. This? This was obviously long overdue.


	28. Rocky Waters

America was starting to notice a pattern, and as much as she hated to admit it, this pattern was not favorable to her campaign to get a little more traction with Kate.

She didn't think Kate was aware of the fact that she'd given herself away with the casual mention that Nate had broken up with his idiot girlfriend, but things had definitely changed since then. Kate wanted to go to more group activities. She was finding reasons to hang out with the Summers family more. Which had been fine when they were double-dating with James, but they'd yet to go out just the two of them in ages, and America was starting to get the hint.

So she dropped in on Kate at the tower, smirking to herself when Kate's immediate reaction was to break into a grin, rush over, and kiss her. That was the great part about Kate; she wore her heart on her sleeve. So, the fact that she was in love with someone else was obvious – but what was also obvious was that Kate liked America, too.

But America didn't like to be anyone's second choice, no matter how gorgeous the girl.

She caught Kate and spun her around in a kiss before she set her down again and met her gaze with a crooked but tired smile. "How's the Westchester club?"

"Doing alright," Kate said in a sigh. "Nate's still convinced James is their dad's favorite, which is crap, because he doesn't remember seeing Scott going to every sports game of his with the Proud Dad Look, but hey, that's the usual drama with them, really."

America smiled more broadly, leaning against the gate to the tower with a quiet laugh. "Already practicing to get in good with the in-laws, huh?"

Kate turned a brilliant color that America wished she'd put on her face for a different reason. "What are you – we're not even old enough-"

"Be real, Princess," America said, unable to stop herself from cupping Kate's waist as she shifted closer, "you're still hung up on the idiot. And now that he's single, you're practically tripping over yourself wishing you were dating him."

Kate's eyes widened, and she shook her head. "America-"

"Hey, I don't play second-best," America said. "I'll still be here for you. I mean, you're the best friend I've got in this crummy city, and someone's got to be there in case this whole thing with the idiot blows up in your face, right?" She grinned crookedly. "But you and I aren't going to get off the ground – not figuratively, anyway – until you figure out what's going on with you and him. So go figure it out. If he hurts you, I'll pound him and then kiss you until you forget all about him, deal?"

Kate stared at America for a long time before she let out a noise from the back of her throat and then flung her arms around America to pull her into a tight hug. "You are just – just – so amazing, you know that? And I really do like you – you know that too, right?"

America smirked and gestured to herself with one hand. "What's not to like?"

Kate laughed and hugged her tighter, then pulled her into a long kiss that America absolutely wasn't going to stop until Kate pulled back. "So… we can still totally hang out all the time and make fun of stupid people, right?"

"Like I said: I'm not going anywhere, Princess," America chuckled. "You just figure yourself out. I know what I want; you gotta do the same."

Kate shook her head and kissed her cheek. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"Hey, you're a fierce, gorgeous, slightly-confused, confident princess with the arms of an archer and the heart of a lover. Like I wasn't going to pick you up."

"And you're a powerful force of nature who loves as deeply as she kicks through reality," Kate said, blushing bright red. "If we're not at least best friends, what's even the point of the universe letting two of the most amazing girls on the planet meet up?"

America smiled as she put her other hand on Kate's waist. "How opposed are you to a break-up makeout? Because I gotta say, Princess, you're making it hard to be mature and let you figure out your feelings when I'd rather just fly off with you and show you the best time you've ever had."

"Not even a little bit opposed," Kate said, her eyes glittering with the kind of excitement that always had America thrilled.

And with that kind of open invitation just sitting there, America wasn't going to squander the opportunity. So, she pulled Kate into a kiss long enough that they were pressed into each other, and then she took them to the sky for some privacy.

* * *

The holidays passed in a daze, like they so often did. Juggling everyone's schedules got slightly easier with the big break at the end of December, but everyone's family obligations ended up making _fun_ things like dating or going out as a group next to impossible. And when the Summers disappeared to who-knows-where to meet up with the _other_ Summers clan, that just meant that they were more unreachable for a longer stretch. Which made it _seem_ to those that wanted to spend time with them as if they were on an even harsher lockdown than usual.

But … the start of the new semester was met with bright cheer for May Parker at the very least. She was lucky in that her powers were almost entirely physical, so learning how to hold back wasn't super hard for her to do. _Not_ overreacting to spider senses was a totally different story, but she had gotten her reactions down to a much more reasonable response than the full on Parker startle that she'd been doing when it had first manifested.

She still wasn't quite ready to return to public school, but she was pretty certain that she was ahead of Nate Summers, anyhow. A fact that she loved to flaunt to Nate at every single opportunity. And the fact that her father had agreed to let her join the Avengers when she was old enough - and if she was cleared by those 'in the know when the time comes' had her on cloud nine. She had _permission_ to be a hero - just like her dad! And she wanted to not only share the joy, but do a little preemptive recruiting too. And she knew just the newly un-grounded, freshly back to the city guy she wanted in on it. He _needed_ the boost, after all.

Especially since he'd gone from being tons of fun to almost dreary- and he flat out refused to break any of the security protocols in place. It was bad enough that even Black Widow seemed downtrodden that James hadn't even _tried_ to push. And he had put zero thought into returning to the prank war with Tony, either. It was obvious to May, at least, that her guy was depressed. And she was pretty sure she needed to do _something_ about the nasty case of Stockholm syndrome he came back with after spending a couple weeks in the woods alone with his dad _._ He hadn't even wanted to do anything for his birthday after he spent it in the woods, either. And since they'd disappeared not long after their return for Christmas, May had plenty of time to dream up ways to pull him out of his funk.

Stranger still, her father had even _agreed_ that James wasn't acting like he should - far too serious, and as Peter Parker had said - 'in extreme danger of becoming entirely too grumpy' at the rate he was going. _All_ the adults had had the same basic reaction to the mess that went down around Cassie Lang. Shock had been quickly followed by equal parts fear for James' safety and pride in his actions, though most of the adults were being fairly quiet on the details on _why_. At least, they _were_ … then May caught her father calling James 'a kinder, gentler, less stabby Wolverine' and she found herself getting lost in the idea of them joining the team together.

Her father had pictures of himself and James' dad on his desk at home from when they were Avengers, and she started doodling all of their hypothetical team … She was supposed to be working on her homework, but watching James working so intently on upgrading her dad's webshooters had gotten her mind wandering. She saw herself as Spider-Girl, Kate as the Purple Widow, Cassie as Ant-girl, Dani Cage dressed like her parents in leather gear and flat refusing to use a code name of any kind, and James as their new Wolverine … though she was playing with the name and the costume. Yellow and Red were too jarring next to each other, after all.

"Maybe blue," she said to herself as she continued to doodle, which was enough to draw James' attention.

He looked up at her, frowning when he saw the almost vacant expression on her face, so he set his tools down and decided to sneak over to see what it was that had her so distracted. She didn't know he was there until he was nearly on top of her, and then she startled so badly, she dropped her notebook that she'd been doodling in. James laughed - _finally_ wearing a broad smile on his face as she started to berate him for scaring her, though that fell to the wayside when James' smile slipped.

He'd picked up the notebook for her and was staring at the drawings she had - the little codenames for most of their friends - some of them scratched out several times and re-written slightly differently from dozens of childhood conversations born of daydreams and wishful thinking. "What's this?" James asked, though he was watching her as he asked.

"Oh, just a few ideas. Watching you go all … _rawr_ on that idiot with Cassie got me thinking."

"About what?" James asked. "Being Avengers?"

"Well … yeah."

"No," James said before he dropped the notebook on the couch and started back for his workbench. "Not unless you know another James that you're putting in that costume."

"They're not costumes, they're _uniforms_ ," May said before she hopped over the back of the couch and followed him. "And you need the right uniform for the job."

James shook his head as he got back to work. "Pretty sure I've already set myself up with a job if I want it. Right here, in the lab that Stark built for me."

"Yes. Exactly! Tony would love to have you on the team!"

James set his tools down and held her gaze seriously. "No, May. That's never gonna happen."

"But you're already so _good at it!_ "

James was shaking his head and the set of his mouth was grim. "Forget it, Mayday," James said in a tone she'd never heard him use before.

"But … what harm would it do? You _are_ good at this, James! Think about it! Anyone with the powers you have _should_ use them to help people. _Otherwise you're not doing everything you can to stop idiots like the ones that went after Cassie._ "

James could feel his temper rising faster than he wanted to admit. And he had yet to get upset with May. "You think I haven't thought about that already?" James snapped. "There's more going on than just stepping up for those in trouble, May. I _can't_ look at things the same way you do. Your family's motto doesn't apply the same way to me and my family."

"Yes it does!" May threw her hands in the air and let out a groan of frustration. "I get being anxious, but _James_ , you know you could try it out and if you didn't like it, you don't _have_ to stay with the team! It's not like you'd be the first one to decide it wasn't for them!"

"You don't _get it_ ," James shot back, his work on the webshooters forgotten. " _You_ could try it and back off. _Kate_ and Cassie could, _but I cant._ "

"Is this all because of the whole _mutant_ thing your family's so paranoid about?" May challenged, hands on her hips and obviously ready to fight. "Hank is a mutant and he's been on the team for forever! And he's physically mutated, too! You don't have that to worry about!"

James stared back at her for a long while, then grudgingly went back to finish the adjustments he had been making before he said something he'd regret. "It's not just the mutant thing, May. I _know_ I told you about some of the crap that follows us. You _know_ about the security Natasha and Tony have in place. You _know_ it's not _just the mutant thing_."

"But if you were an _Avenger-_ "

" _No_ ," James growled out, slamming one hand on the bench. "That stupid badge doesn't solve _anything_. If it did, do you think I'd still be under lockdown _in their tower_?" His tools clattered on the ground and the two of them glared at each other for a long moment before May huffed and grabbed her backpack.

"I'm going to finish studying where people are more _reasonable_ and not so _delusional_."

"Good. Tell your Dad I'm almost done with his gear," James called back - still ticked off, and not willing to even think about cooling off. He'd purposely not been overly descriptive with May about the trouble he could be in if he was caught, but he also knew that he'd told her that people who used mutants as weapons _would want him_ given even a miniscule chance … and now he could see that she thought he was just paranoid.

She didn't get it. _At all._ And it was clear that it wasn't a matter of not knowing. It was a matter of not being able to grasp what it was that not only her mutant friends were dealing with, but her boyfriend, in particular. And he honestly couldn't wrap his head around how she didn't _believe him_ that there was a major issue. It had him ready to pick a fight. Especially after he'd spent so much time at his mothers cottage breathing in scents that _had_ to have been all that was left of his parents. So yes. James was a little touchy about how much people like those running the weapons groups had cost his family.

So while May flounced off, tossing her hair over her shoulder, James nearly broke a tooth as he tried to swallow the growl down and got back to work picking up his discarded tools and then going back to the webshooters.

May, however, ended up going right to her father, who looked irritated at the way May was throwing things around and huffing to herself. "What's wrong today, sweetheart?" Peter asked - earning himself a deadly scowl from his daughter before she dropped her backpack - and then launched into a detailed retelling of what had just happened in the lab from _her_ point of view. Which was a lot less flattering of an opinion than what had actually happened.

"I don't understand how someone who's been training and working for _so long_ can't understand why they _need_ to go be a hero! He doesn't even try and he does it!"

"May, sweetheart, it's not that simple," Peter said, not understanding how it was that he was _defending_ her boyfriend to her.

"I swear, Dad, if you say it's the whole mutant thing I'm going to scream."

"It's not! Well it is. But it's not - you know what? It's just … it's not as simple as you think, okay? It's not _just_ the mutant thing."

"But _you_ always said that we have to live up to our responsibility - and that means that if you can protect someone and stop bad things from happening, you need to! Great power comes with great responsibility - thats like … our family _crest_!"

Peter blew out a breath and ran his hand through his already messy hair. "Sit down, May," he said, then took her hands in his as he tried to keep their conversation somewhat private. "I know it's hard to understand, but James keeping out of things and laying low _is_ being responsible. For him."

"Dad."

"No, hear me out. His parents - both of them - they were used by people to do horrible things. And even though the Phoenix destroyed the labs and the research centers and … pretty much everyone involved that she could … the idea behind it didn't go away. James is making the right move by staying off the radar. If they got a hold of him …"

"They won't."

"They _could_ ," Peter said with a bit more force. "I know you think the world of him, May, but he's still a kid. His Dad was the the toughest, meanest, hardest to deal with person I ever met, but they managed to use him _anyhow_. _James is just a kid_ \- and I don't care how good he is, he's nowhere near what his parents were at their peak and they _still_ got caught. If someone wanted to take that kid down … he wouldn't stand a chance." He took her by both shoulders so he could look her in the eyes more clearly. "And sweetheart, you do _not_ want to see what happens to him if someone gets a hold of him. He's right. Don't push him into being on the team. He can still save lives and make a difference doing what he does right here, safe in the lab."

May stared at him for a long moment. " _I can't believe you're on his side!_ "

Peter stared after her. "How is _that_ what you took out of that statement?!"

"You don't even like him," May snapped. "And you're supposed to be on my side, Dad!"

"May, I'm not going to agree with you if you're wrong," Peter said, but that only had her looking and sounding that much more angry as she stomped away to find someone who would commiserate with her.

Which left a few people staring at the scene and Peter feeling like he had to _say_ something. So, he quietly turned and made his way over to James' lab. He let himself in, and the instant he did, James looked up, sighed, and let his shoulders drop. But he didn't wait for Peter to get started before he spoke up.

"Timing's good," James said, hoping that Peter wouldn't try to talk to him about joining up, too. "Just wrapping this up. Should get more out of the cartridges and they can fire faster now."

"That's great," Peter replied as he came over to pick one up and try it out while James was finishing up the second one. "But not why I came in."

James carefully kept from looking up at Peter. "Alright. Go ahead. I'm listening, but if you're going to harp at me to join up, I'm gonna tell you that Tony's already offered up a few solutions that I've turned down. And my Dad's worked too hard to keep me safe just for me to turn around and give him the finger for a spandex bodysuit."

"Okay, first of all," Peter said, holding up one finger. "It's not just spandex, okay? It's reinforced with vibranium mesh and -" He stopped when he saw the dry look James was giving him. "- not the point. Fine. Secondly - and more importantly, I wasn't going to push you, and I wasn't going to lecture. As it happens … I agree with you and your Dad, okay? I just wanted you to know that May isn't getting this from me. It's all … we've tried to protect her from the bad stuff. The worst stuff, anyhow, and I know it's hard to explain how bad it can get to people outside of the loop- your _father_ didn't ever talk about it, so I-"

"You're not telling me anything I don't know," James said. "And I'd rather not talk about my father if it's all the same to you, Mr. Parker."

Peter's eyebrows went up high and fast. "Oh. We're doing the formal thing. You must be upset then."

James dropped his gaze as he shrunk back on himself. "I'm just trying to- nevermind."

"Hey. If it makes you feel any better, _I_ think you're doing the right thing. All the way around! It's a lot harder than anyone wants to admit when your friends and your girlfriend are pressuring you."

"I just know that it would be bad for everyone if any of those weapons programs got a hold of me or my brother and sister."

Peter began nodding his head in fervent agreement. "You're entirely right, and on behalf of the rest of the Avengers, the population of New York, and the world in general - thanks. Just … keep it small. Point those heroic tendencies like you have been - at creepy jerks who are literally begging for it. Just … don't get caught next time."

"That sounds suspiciously like something an Avenger _shouldn't_ say."

"To … a criminal, _yes_ , but to a little budding hero that is trying to not be turned into a mindless weapon full of razor sharp awful? Perfectly acceptable." James made a face at that and hesitated before searching for something to do. "And I made it weird again." Peter sighed. "I'll tell you one thing," he said as he picked up everything James had come up with - including the new recipe for webbing. "When it came to your Dad? Your biological dad, that is - it didn't matter how bad it looked, I knew if he was with me, we were going to get out of it somehow."

James' shoulders dropped a little more and he turned toward Peter, frowning at him. "That seems to be the repeating theme," James said in a perfectly neutral tone. "But I didn't ask."

Peter looked more disappointed than he realized. "No. I guess not. Okay. So. Good talk. I'm here if you ever feel like just quietly glowering at me or something." He skittered out of the lab, but that only left James behind trying to decide how to even process that. It wasn't like it was the first time that he'd been told he was doing things like Logan did. And James didn't mind doing things that he thought were _right_. But he did take issue with feeling like he had no choice in how he was reacting to people or situations, so every time someone looked pleased that he'd reacted like his parents, James retreated a little more.


	29. Joy And Angst

Even if America had basically given Kate the go-ahead to figure out her feelings with Nate, Kate didn't go running straight to Nate or anything. That would be _undignified_. And she had been raised by the _Black Widow_.

No, what she did was go to Westchester more often to "visit Lexi," wearing some cute clothes that she knew drew attention to all the right things about her appearance - and openly projecting the fact that she and America were on a break.

Okay, so it wasn't _quite_ dignified either, but, well, she wasn't her mother.

Still, even with how much she was projecting, Nate didn't seen to take any hints until just before the Summers took off for Christmas, when Kate more or less threw a sprig of mistletoe at him and kissed him full on the mouth. Because if he wasn't going to make a move, she _would_. And if he _still_ wasn't interested, then forget it. She had a gorgeous girlfriend she could go back to and know that Nate Summers just wasn't good enough to keep up with her.

For a long moment, Nate just stared at her, and then, he broke into a crooked grin and pulled her into a long kiss in return. "For the record - this isn't some weird rebound thing, right?"

"Oh my gosh, is _that_ why you weren't taking my _massive hints_ , you _dork_!" Kate hit him in the center of his chest. "You're lucky you're cute, because wow."

"I don't know … got a wow either way."

Kate rolled her eyes. "There is a different between 'wow, you're cute' and 'wow, you're stupid,' and you tread a _fine line_ , mister."

Nate grinned but hadn't stepped back from her either. "Hey, for all I knew, you were projecting for Rachel, not me."

"You're an idiot." Kate shoved him in the shoulder. "But if you take me out on a real date, I'll overlook that."

Once more, Nate's grin widened. "You're on."

* * *

"Why does Angel look like he's getting ready to face down a monster?" Mia asked as she walked into her mother's office. She stopped in the doorway, her tail still behind her as she watched Warren walk away with his feathers slightly ruffled and his wings stiff behind him.

"Because he's not used to being burdened with such responsibility," Ororo replied with a warm smile. "Even though I told him it was only for two weeks."

"But … what?" Mia asked, turning to her mother with wide eyes even as Ororo approached her calmly.

"My beloved daughter, you need to go upstairs and pack your bags. We're going to take a short trip to my homelands, and to visit an old friend. Be sure to dress for warm weather."

"Wait. Hold up. _Wait._ " Mia was grinning in spite of herself. "We're taking a vacation? Since when do we take vacation time?"

"Since I realized that you should get to see something more impressive than the dirty streets of New York," Ororo said before she kissed Mia on the forehead and walked by her. "Pack quickly. Our Maker has the jet ready to go. He's only waiting on us."

Mia was on her toes for the whole flight, half holding her breath as her leg jiggled. She was excited - _so_ excited - to get out and to maybe even get to _socialize_ with people that didn't know her parents and were also second gen superheroes.

When they finally started to circle around for the landing, Mia couldn't keep her excitement under control. She was grinning broadly -moreso as they circled lower and lower, and by the time they were on the ground, she was bouncing in her seat, wide-eyed and at the edge of squealing.

Ororo and Forge shared a smile - particularly since Mia was doing her best and still acting like the excited kid that she was. She so rarely got to travel and to see the world … sure, she'd gotten to see where Forge was from - and enjoyed every moment on the reservation where what was left of his family lived - but it was an entirely different kind of sweeping wind-swept plain in Montana with the Rocky Mountains looming in the distance. This … this was her mother's homeland - or close enough to it. And the African plains were something else entirely.

The colors were unbelievable, for one thing. The oranges and deep warm reds made everything else seem dull by comparison. Everything reflected the orangey glow. It was so distractingly vivid that she almost didn't realize that they were at the edge of a sprawling city that she didn't even _see_ coming in.

"Where are we?" Mia asked in a breath. "I didn't know Africa had such big cities … I mean, I knew it had cities, I just mean …"

"We're in Wakanda," Ororo said, a sedate aura emanated around her as she closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh air. Without thinking of any consequences for the first time in a very long time, Ororo gently let her arms extend at her sides as the wind around her picked up and lifted her skyward. She didn't fly high, but clearly, she had needed to fly a little bit. For her own sanity.

It wasn't until she was well into the air though, before Mia called out to her. "Looking good, Mom! Mind taking someone with you next time?"

Ororo paused and turned her way, blushing high on her cheeks - not that anyone saw it for as high up as she was. "Of course. What was I thinking?"

"Likely, that you were glad to be back," Forge answered.

Mia looked between her parents as her parents gazed longingly at each other. The relationship was certainly on equal footing, but there was something about the way that Forge didn't even attempt to hide his open near-worship of his wife that had Mia pining for someone to look at her like that. She just didn't know how that would ever happen when she wasn't able to leave the institute … except in cases like this, of course, when her parents totally blindsided her. And she was going to soak in every single skyscraper, tower, and friendly face she came across.

* * *

For the past several months, James had noticed a marked change in how things _felt_ at the tower. The Avengers were the same, as always, but those going in and out of the tower were a little … off. America hadn't really been around as much, and Dani had started up in a new school that meant her time at the tower was less and less. Most of the kids near his age were going to Westchester to deal with their power sets, too, so that meant less and less kids were around - which was okay. Except that when there was a break - like at Christmas or Spring Break - all the kids that _should_ have been at the tower for some reason weren't.

Again, James wouldn't have found it too odd, except for the fact that May was among those not showing up - even when she _could_. And considering how much she'd always pushed for more time, the change was noticeable. When she finally appeared on the last weekday of Spring Break after not answering his texts for the past few days, James could see what was coming. And he wasn't exactly looking forward to the visit. He _really_ likes her, and he'd spoiled her every chance he got as best he could. Still … things had been odd since the beginning of the year, but it wasn't until _now_ that it was just … weird.

He looked up as she approached, though she was moving stiffly and didn't look like she was at ease _at all_ as she stood across the bench from him, watching and remaining quiet. When he set his tools down, it all happened very quickly.

"I think there's a better person out there for both of us. This isn't working for me anymore," May said, though she looked half upset as she sid it. "Are you okay?"

James blinked a couple of times then chose to cope the best way he knew how - at the time. "Yeah. I'm fine. Thanks for letting me know." Though he definitely was not alright, he wasn't about to make a big deal over it. Definitely not in front of anyone.

She took a step toward him looking like she was going for a hug, but James stepped back at that. "You don't need to do that. You should finish your break with people you want to be around. I have work to finish up anyhow. I get it. It's fine, Mayday."

May looked equal parts worried and vindicated at that though. "Then I guess I'll see you around. Coffee with the group one of these days, right?"

"Sure," James replied, watching her out of the corner of his eye as she left - and then as soon as she was gone, he set his tools down and sat down himself. He had zero drive to even try and keep working now, and a glance at the clock showed him it would be a while still before it was time to _go_. So instead of speaking up, or trying to put it aside, he made his way over to the couch and dropped onto it to stare out the mirrored windows for a while. He was pretty well convinced that touching anything he was building would end up causing an explosion at this point, so it was best to just … not. At least he had the weekend at home ahead of him, away from the tower. It would be easy enough to isolate, anyhow.

But he didn't have nearly as long to wait as he thought. Steve showed up a little early to give him a ride home because his dad wanted to make the most of their weekend before break was over - which undoubtedly meant intensive family time. The ride home was mostly silent - save for anything that Steve said, or tried to say, and when James walked in the door, Nate and Rachel were already elbow deep in trying to make dinner for the family without burning the house down.

They were having a blast - laughing and joking both verbally and telepathically while they punched some pizza dough into submission and tossed little shreds of cheese at each other.

James watched them from the living room for a moment as he hung his keys up and took off his shoes. Of course they'd be up to something like this when he wanted to put some headphones in and take a nap.

"Katie is on her way over," Nate called out. "You should call May, we can make a night of it. Dad's hoping for equal numbers when we get to the games."

"Yeah, no, that's not gonna happen. I'll just sit it out this time around," James said. "I've got … stuff to do." As soon as he'd said it, he knew it didn't sound right. He wasn't enrolled anywhere. He had no more degrees on deck at the moment to hide in. So James didn't wait around for them to poke holes in his story. And since they were properly blown off - and in good moods … and especially since the last thing he wanted to do was draw attention by being the quiet, broody one, he left his siblings to themselves. He was accused of being too quiet often enough as it was. But he didn't make it all the way to his room upstairs before Scott called out to him, halfway up the stairs as he followed.

"What happened?" he asked, a look of concern on his face, though not nearly so deeply etched in as the last time Scott had felt compelled to quiz him.

"Nothing too major," James said, though he glanced toward the bottom of the stairs, sure that his siblings would be coming around sooner than later. "May and I split up, and I'm not in the mood to drag everyone down, so I thought I'd just head up, listen to some music and read … or something." He held up both hands, even with the earbuds dangling from one. "I'm fine, Dad. I promise. I just don't want to talk about it and I don't want to be around the group. Not tonight."

Scott nodded slowly. "Alright. You know I'm here if you change your mind."

"I know," James agreed. "But you know I'll be here when the other two are back to school - so … have some fun with them, please. I doubt they'd be up to both of us kicking their butts up and down Bedford Avenue."

Scott smiled at that. "No, I don't think they'd handle it well either. I'll send up some pizza in a while."

"Thanks," James replied before he slipped into his room and dropped onto the bed with a weary sigh. Now that he was there, he was much more tired. But it was still early enough in the night that he could hear every little thing in the borough, so he put his earbuds in, put on something relaxing and soft, then closed his eyes as he tried to hide in the music all he way until he fell asleep.

An hour or so later, Rachel came up to check in on him and to bring him food. "Alright. What's going on?" she asked, waking him up as she dropped down next to him where he _had_ been sleeping. Or trying to.

"Nothing overly important," James promised as he took out the earphones and all the ambient sounds around him came rushing back, breaking the little bubble of isolation James had created for himself.

"James." Rachel gave him a dry look. "You're missing out on watching Katie on _cloud nine_ even when Nate wins a round. It's adorable. She's still tickled that they're unofficially official. Come on. If you don't want to tell me, then show me."

"Not much to tell - _or show_ ," James said, though he settled in on his side so they could talk - a sure indicator to Rachel that he was more affected by the breakup than he'd admitted to.

"Okay," Rachel said, dipping her head down to watch his expression better. Because he was blocking her from peeking or checking in, about the only indicator she had to know how he was doing was his facial expressions and body language. And he was being guarded. "Mind telling me what happened then? Because I don't understand. I thought you two had it together."

"She … she probably just got bored."

"Not even a possibility, little brother." Rachel shifted to sit cross legged on the bed to show _him_ she had no plans to go anywhere. "So … I get not wanting to dwell on it, but … I need to know enough to make sure Dad stays back if you _want_ him to."

"I dunno," James admitted. "Things have been off, I guess since we got back after Christmas. She's been hanging in for as long as she could. I don't blame her."

"But you haven't done anything wrong since then," Rachel said with a frown before she leaned forward slightly. "If you can't figure it out, maybe you can show me. I swear I won't tell anyone. I'll lock it up tight away from Nate. I can do that, you know."

James chewed on the inside of his lip for a long moment before he let out a breath and nodded. "Okay. Sure." He rested his head on his arm while Rachel resituated herself and reached over to rest her fingertips on his temples - and as soon as he'd opened his mind for her, she started looking for what had happened that James had _missed_ , since clearly, he wasn't getting it.

What she wasn't expecting was the beginning of the end having been May trying to push him into being a hero. Rachel had to control her reaction since she and Nate had been low-key doing the same thing, but obviously James hadn't gotten that angry with _them_. And she had to wonder if he wasn't projecting some of that toward May. But … since she was seeing it through _his_ eyes, she could see what he thought had been so obvious and she could sense the way he'd desperately _wanted_ her to understand, even if his means of conveying his concerns and feelings weren't stellar. She could also see the moment that James _quit_ trying to convince her of anything and simply shut down and drew a line in the sand. It was a look she and Nate hadn't seen much themselves, but the fire with which he defended his decision to avoid the hero lifestyle was strong. Which, if nothing else, gave her a little perspective on how _not_ to approach her little brother in the future when they got closer to being heroes … or more precarious - restarted the X-Men.

Rachel kept looking, surprised at how _involved_ James and little May Parker were when no one was around - and how keenly hurt James was at her almost nonchalant rejection. And by the time that Rachel had seen all she could without _prying_ into more personal things, she had to take a moment to consider it herself.

James sighed heavily when he saw the expression on Rachel's face, but he didn't break her concentration.

"I'd have to double check with May just to be 100% sure and to keep you from holding on to that instance of _incredible_ misreading, but I don't think she got tired of you, little brother. I think she was comfortable with you, from what I saw. And I could see by watching her through your eyes that you really love her. You two … you had fun from the moment you got together, didn't you?"

"More or less," James admitted.

"But … she didn't understand your concerns. And I don't think she _could_."

"I know," James said. "I can't figure out how to explain it right."

Rachel was already shaking her head. "No, James, it's not up to you to show her that. It's not something she'll just _get._ And the fact that she dropped you like this? You'll find someone that's just as much fun, just as hard for you to say no to, just as full of light … but _hopefully_ , next time it'll be someone who can understand your perspective without imposing their beliefs on you."

James nodded wordlessly, though he looked strained at the corners of his eyes, which Rachel took as her cue to lean over and wrap him up in a hug. The moment she got her arms around him, he returned the gesture and doubled down on the hug. Heartbroken was not a look she ever wanted to see on either of her brothers, especially when James had always been so open about showing the emotions that mattered.

He hadn't even realized how much he'd _needed_ that contact until it had happened, and Rachel found herself getting upset on his behalf for a moment. Eventually though, he managed to get a firm grip over his emotions again. "Sorry," James said when the two of them let go of each other.

"No, no," Rachel said. "Don't do that. Don't apologize for being hurt. You might have seen in hindsight what was happening, but it was plain as day that you weren't expecting it when you came in tonight." She paused and considered her next words carefully. "You know, I don't want to upset you, but she was right about one thing, James." When he looked up to meet her gaze, it was clear he had no idea what direction Rachel was headed. "You _would_ be amazing if you ever decided to be a hero."

Maybe," James conceded. "But a lot would have to be different before I could even think about it."

Rachel pulled over the dinner she'd brought up for him. "Then I guess I better get to work, huh?" She smiled crookedly as she decided to share with him something that even Nate didn't know yet. It seemed like the kind of thing that might cheer him up, after all. "I finally talked Dad into letting me start training to be an Avenger. There are a _lot_ of conditions, of course-"

"Naturally."

"But when he heard how much I wanted to do this for _mom_ and for your parents, and Grampa Charlie … he didn't shoot me down."

"That's because he knows if there was anyone that could outstubborn the world into behaving like civilized folk, it would be you," James said.

Rachel smiled widely at that and their discussion drifted into more neutral territory as she quizzed him on what _he_ thought he should be doing with his time. There was a moment of pure pride when he admitted that he'd considered being a doctor like Dr. Blue, but it was short lived when he continued to say that there was no way he'd be able to _honestly_ consider it with the restrictions he had to live by in order to stay out of the wrong side of laboratories. But it only had Rachel thinking more about how she could change things.

How could she make it easier for her brother to try _living_ again instead of just _surviving_? He was miserable without any real distractions now and she could see it _so easily._ And like any good big sister, she wanted to fix it for him. Nate had an easier time of it - even if he would never believe it. And she hated that James was giving up on doing things that would be _so good_ for him. And out of _fear._ It didn't fit with his personality. Cautious, sure … but things really had changed for him after the Cassie incident.

"Well, if you could do anything, what would it be?" Rachel asked. It was a discussion they'd had since they were kids, but now as they got older it was becoming a wonderful litmus test to see where his head was.

James thought for a long while, until finally, he drew in a slow breath. "I think it would be best if I could just find somewhere to go miles away from anything and just … stay there."

"Alone?" Rachel honestly wasn't sure if his answer was still coming from the fresh heartbreak or if this truly was how James felt. It was always harder to tell with him.

He looked pensive as he nodded slowly.

"That … no. We wouldn't make it without you. Just. No."

"Rachel," James said, his chin tipped down even as he looked up at her with an expression that echoed Logan more accurately than he realized. "If it's not something I can do behind the scenes for the team, what can I _possibly_ offer to anyone that doesn't put me out there with a sign on my forehead that screams out who I am? I can't change _what_ I am, and I can't change my face. My options are very limited."

"And you don't want to work behind the scenes at the tower," Rachel surmised.

"I'm already tired of feeling like their mascot," James admitted.

"That wasn't a problem when you were going out giving Natasha heart attacks over strange girls and coffee."

"That … was stupid and reckless of me."

"You're allowed to make mistakes, James."

Again, she was rewarded with an incredibly dry expression before he projected out to her. _Rach. Of the short list of things I am allowed to do, screwing up is nowhere on the list. At all. As it stands, you_ know _I'm going to end up talking to Rabbi Cohen while you guys are at school after all this._

Rachel smiled to herself and couldn't help but tease. _That's not all bad - though he'll probably start trying to suggest good Jewish girls for you to date._

 _You mean good Jewish girls to_ court _._

 _Same difference to him._ Rachel squeezed his arm. _Don't worry. He'll give you an appropriate mourning period before he starts bringing pretty girls over._

James couldn't stop the bark of a laugh that slipped out at that. "Love you, sis."

"Love you too. Don't forget that."

"How could I?" James replied, which earned him a warmer smile from Rachel before she got up to leave him to his solitary dinner and to let him get lost in his music again. So far, Rachel had managed to beat any of her boyfriends to the punch when it came time to end things. This was just … rotten.

When she turned the corner at the bottom of the stairs, Nate and Kate were laughing hard and playing Uno, but Scott was waiting for her. "He'll be okay," Rachel told him quietly. "He's just in shock and hurt. He was in pretty deep with her."

Scott paused. "How deep?"

"It doesn't really matter now. They weren't anywhere close to old enough to be _serious_ serious, but you know how James is. He gets _attached_ when he starts to really care about someone," Rachel said. "He got the rug pulled out from under him, but he'll be okay. He's not doing anything wrong. He's just … trying to figure out what's next. That's all. Totally normal and not as dramatic as me when I got all upset and cut my hair super short."

"The buzz cut and rat-tail was a good look," Scott teased.

Rachel made a sound of disbelief from the back of her throat as her father chuckled. "Please just let him deal for a while before you let the Rabbi get a hold of him, please?"

"I'll give him some space," Scott promised.

* * *

The rest of the weekend was spent with Rachel playing bouncer to let James keep his peace and quiet. He barely left his room until Sunday afternoon - and that was because he knew without being told that Scott _really_ wanted him to join the family for their now-traditional Sunday dinner together. And James wasn't about to interrupt _that_ regardless of what he was dealing with. Especially when he knew that his siblings were going to be thrown back into their studies when they had so many other things on their minds.

But he was still quiet and barely kept engaged in the conversation. Not that there was a lot of room for him to join in when Nate was excitedly talking about how he was _going_ to get control of his powers because he missed team sports _way_ too much to stay out of it for another year.

It was the one time that Scott caught James smiling to himself, even if he had his chin tucked almost to his chest as he valiantly tried to hide from Nate the fact that he knew what Nate _really_ missed.

And by the time that Rachel and Nate watched their dad and James head back down the road leaving Xaviers that evening after listening to Mia _gushing_ about how wonderful her vacation was in Wakanda - how warm the people were there … and how it even though she'd been there for two weeks, she still felt exposed and scared walking in her own skin. After all that, Rachel had managed to have a good long time to weigh all of it out. So she was already in a mood by the time she actually stepped into the living room where there was a small group of kids with wings talking with Warren who, though he was telling them _again_ why it was important to keep their muscles in shape, he was also highlighting how crucial it was for them to keep their heads down and limit themselves to controlled night flying.

The anxiety and misery the group of them were feeling was plain on every single face - Warren included, and as she stood in the doorway, Betsy broke into her thoughts. _Someone looks particularly displeased. Did something happen at home?_

Rachel turned on her heel, then crossed her arms as she headed for the kitchen with Betsy keeping pace. _No. I'm just … frustrated with all of this._

_Which part is bothering you most right now?_

_Which part isn't?_ Rachel countered. _Mia can't socialize and she clearly needs to, James is shutting himself down on possible things he can do because he's being too careful trying to keep from getting spotted by anyone - and all the mess that goes with that. Nate just wants to be back to_ regular _school so he can play sports and be with Katie … I mean …_ everyone here! Everyone! _Look at Warren! I'm sick of everyone being scared to live!_

 _You know it's not for any reason other than safety_ , Betsy replied, honestly concerned with how upset Rachel was.

 _And that's the problem!_ Rachel threw her hands up. "Why can't people just let us _live_?"

Betsy sighed. "You know it's more complex than what you're pretending it to be."

"It's really _not_ ," Rachel countered. "It's really really not. _How_ can people be so _okay_ with treating mutants like this? It's not okay to be a racist, but it's alright to hate us because we have powers?"

"Rachel .."

Rachel let out a growl of frustration. _Nate is an amazing athlete but he can't play sports because he's a mutant. James … if James was human instead of a mutant he'd be on the cover of_ magazines _for how insanely smart he is but instead, he's practically a prisoner in Avengers' tower._

 _What about you?_ Betsy challenged, already well aware that arguing with her wasn't going to be worth much at this point.

Rachel had her hands on her hips. _What about me? I'm joining the Avengers because the X-Men are defunct. I_ will _find a way to turn this around. My brothers deserve better._ I _deserve better, Warren and Mia and every kid_ here _deserves to be treated with respect that_ they don't get _on the basis of one mutated gene?_ "Screw that."


	30. First Place

James had spent a lot of time working at the tower after the fiasco with Cassie and all the fallout from dating little May Parker. Instead of getting into trouble, or acting like most kids his own age, he put his focus on the few things he could do while hiding away and powered through his studies and accrued several Stark-approved degrees while tinkering alongside Tony. In the process, he'd secured himself a spot at Stark Industries - and had saved up some money - though Scott assured him he could just keep to his studies, since it was no secret that as long as the kids were in school he could keep a close eye on them. For the most part.

There was a small adult freak out that happened after James helped his brother have a nice coffee date by distracting a girl that hated Kate but happened to flirt with James whenever she saw him. James didn't like the girl. But he did have a little fun with her. He even considered her offer to go on a real date that was just shy of a promise to get right to fooling around.

As soon as the two of them parted company, Nate couldn't help himself. "Okay. But why?"

"Why what?" James asked, frowning at his brother.

"Why are you making out with someone that evil?"

"She's not … she isn't evil," James said, rolling his eyes. "Not liking Kate isn't an instant qualifier for some kind of supervillain club."

"It so is," Kate giggled. "It so is and you know it is."

"Wait. Are you going to date her now?" Nate asked. "You might get drafted to the other side if you do."

"Oooh, that's why he's so reluctant to consider a t-e-a-m," Lexi said with a perfectly straight expression. "He wants to go evil."

"At least long enough to get in her pants," America added, which had Nate busting up laughing.

"Hey," James said, though Nate cut in laughing hard as he did so.

"Saying she started it isn't a good enough defense!" Nate laughed, but instead of trying to cut into the picking, James found himself thinking it over. Kate and Nate got their date … and James pretty well had a sure thing lined up if he followed through - which really only equated to making the call and setting it up.

But that line of thinking only lasted long enough for him to get back to the tower with Nate and Kate … far too slow to beat the picture that Lexi had sent ahead of them showcasing James kissing Isabella Frost.

He had no way of knowing that he'd have not only Natasha, but Tony, Jan, Steve, and Scott in full blown freak out just from one little kissing session. Until he heard the connections - namely the fact that Isabella's mother was Madame Masque. And her aunt was Emma Frost. Which meant both Tony and Scott were just a little sensitive on hearing even the name.

Given the chance to think it over, even with Nate dying laughing, James ended up going quiet for a week, kicking himself for his luck while carefully blocking out Rachel and Nate since … he really was considering taking Izzy out for more than just coffee. Sure, she hated Katie, her best friend was Arcade's daughter, and her family was evil, but she was very pretty and a good kisser. So there was a draw there .. even if it wasn't entirely on the up and up.

It made James second guess himself, and he was understandably more cautious after that, even if it put a dampener on his dating prospects. It didn't stop him, but it had him paranoid that he'd be picking up someone worse … and considering the kind of girls he was playing around with, it'd be just his luck if he ended up getting wrapped up with the daughter of Viper and the Red Skull. And the fact that he was half wondering what said girl would look like, and weighing out if her parents were a real deterrent was distracting in itself. In ways he didn't want to ruminate over.

But behaving was starting to wear on James - the constant study was stifling. He felt far too much like a bookworm when all he wanted to do when he couldn't chase a girl was run in the woods and sit by the edge of Lake Superior listening to the waves roll in off the big lake. But that would be a waste of his talents, too. After it was clear James was getting bored with what most people at the company would throw themselves into, and especially considering that the Frost girl was still looking for James, Tony started to pull the kid into the garage with him.

Tony took the time to teach him a little bit on how to upgrade and see how to take a perfectly amazing racecar and turn it into something honestly mind blowing. He had James helping to 'restore' a gorgeous old sports car that didn't have much wrong with it other than some neglect showing through the faded paint and ripped leather seats, though the engine was misfiring, too. But it was something to draw James' interest, and considering that he was slowly inching toward driving age, it had the young man thinking.

He was only fifteen, and he and Scott had talked about the idea of him getting a car of some sort, if nothing else, than to free up Scott to come and go now that Nate had finally returned to public school after mastering his powerset at Westchester. But after working with Tony on both a new car and an older one, James had come to a decision on his own without consulting anyone about it. He'd spent the past few months since his birthday looking through ads in the paper for a car.

It was probably the most typical of his age thing that he'd done in years, and once Scott had discovered what James was up to, he certainly wasn't going to put an end to it. Though, he had to admit to being curious about what James was looking for. Particularly when James wasn't making any notations on what was catching his eye or not. But Scott kept his distance, unsure if James was taking this kind of information to Tony, or if he was simply working on his own for this one.

The Summers family was settled in and having breakfast that quiet Sunday morning in Brooklyn. Rachel was making plans for graduation and Nate was plotting out his newest workout regimen for spring tryouts when Scott noticed that James once again had a whole book of car for sale ads, so he had to ask. "What are you looking at?" Scott couldn't hide the curiosity as he sat down with a cup of coffee. "Find the sports car you've been searching for yet?"

James made a face and shook his head. "Don't want anything like that. Too flashy. Draws way too much attention. Which would kill Natasha dead on the basis of having spent too much time with Tony." He flipped through a few pages - looking between two sections before he settled on something - and sat back in his chair, looking them all over more carefully.

"Fair," Scott said. "But he's not the only one around with an eye for sports cars. I had a great convertible when I was younger."

James smirked at that. "Yeah, that's a thought. I was kinda leaning that way. Sort of."

"Cute girl you're trying to impress?"

"Ah, no," James said, shaking his head. "Where would I meet her that wouldn't end up with her being a super creep? I've already dated my way through all the available or interesting Avenger's kids." Rachel snorted at that, then doubled down on her breakfast when both James and Scott looked her way. "And everyone else at Stark's place is too old for me."

"You know, you can go for coffee again," Rachel said. "You don't have to wait for someone else to go out and bribe them to get yours. I seem to remember you had pretty good luck at the coffee shops not that long ago that wasn't the daughter of Madame Masque."

"Even if she's still pining," Nate said with an ill-hidden grin. It was clear that he still thought that Izzy looking for his brother was the height of hilarity.

James shook his head and turned his focus back to the ads. "Too much chatter and I don't like the inducers."

"You can still go out without it if you're careful," Nate said, but then muttered out a soft 'nevermind' when Scott gave him a look.

"You go to the school every other weekend when Mia gets stir-crazy," Scott pointed out as he shifted his focus back to the subject at hand. Especially when he knew James was still catting around when given ample opportunity - and he wanted his son to take better care when it came to relationships of any kind.

"Okay, that's fair," James conceded, nodding. "But that hasn't really worked out too well yet. Megan still won't acknowledge my existence after that blew up." Nate snickered to himself again since he knew far more about that affair than he'd have wanted to. Dating 'Pixie' had been an unmitigated disaster between how jealous she'd gotten from other people flirting with James and the two of them getting caught causing trouble at the Institute when he went to visit. "And like I said," James continued, ignoring his brother's amused expression. "I'm not interested in impressing anyone. If I've got to do that to turn someone's head, then they're not looking at me. This isn't about girls."

"Too bad," Rachel said with a smirk. "The way Mia tells it, you have a following if you open your eyes. At least … if you pay attention to girls that don't have evil in their family history."

James gave her a dry look then rolled his entire body to turn away from her, which had Nate snickering. "I just want something that'll be good in the snow but still fun in the summer too." He looked up at Scott, though he hesitated before admitting to him "I was kind of looking at a Jeep, to be honest."

Scott blinked at him before he broke into a grin. "Seriously?"

"Okay wow, what did I do?"

"No, it's just…" Scott chuckled. "Yeah, I think a Jeep would be a great idea."

"Alright. Then … there's another problem," James said as he leaned toward Scott slightly. "Everything I find that isn't brand new off the line - which I don't want - needs some work. But I don't want to ask Tony to get involved even if I'm sure he would if I asked. He'd take it too far. So. Would you help me if I got something that's probably going to be worse than I think when I find it? I'm not talking about a total rebuild, just … you know. A lot of the stuff in here is suffering from neglect. And I know I don't know enough on my own to wing it."

"Yeah, absolutely," Scott said, still grinning widely. "I'll help you wrench on it."

"Oh, good," James said, letting out a breath. "I could afford to get a new one, but I don't really like the way they look inside." James made a face and looked uncomfortable. "It's hard to explain, but for something you can take the doors off of and pull a drain plug - leather seats and a big stereo, navigation… all those bells and whistles seem … dumb."

"No, no," Scott said. "That makes perfect sense."

"Okay, but … you're going to break your face and it's kind of freaking me out."

Scott reined in the smile by a fraction and leaned back. "It's just that your dad was always wrenching on a bike or a Jeep. I even helped him a few times."

James looked honestly surprised at that. "You're kidding."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he had a lot of the same reasons in mind that you do."

James smirked to himself and shook his head, since he had been hearing more and more stories about Logan as he began to resemble him more strongly with age. "Huh."

Scott smirked and reached over to ruffle James' hair. "I'm not surprised."

"So. Maybe … we could take a look at a few of them?" James slid the ads toward Scott. "There are a few that look interesting at least. And I want your honest opinion."

"Yes. Absolutely." Scott grinned.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to finish up at Xaviers like your sister?" Scott asked Nate as he got ready to re-register at the same High School that Clint and Natasha had chosen for Kate and Lexi.

"Dad. You know I've missed playing football," Nate said, rolling his eyes.

"And baseball and soccer and hockey," Scott said as he set the newspaper down on the table. Online articles had been growing in popularity, but no matter how many of their neighbors dropped the print copies, Scott couldn't seem to shake the habit of needing to see the news in print. "And I'll go to every single game when you join up, I just … "

"You're worried about the anti-mutant garbage that's rising in popularity," Nate finished. "It's okay, Dad. That's not even in our borough. Most of the trouble's in Queens."

"I know that, Nate, but you can't expect it to stay in Queens." Scott shook his head, took his juice glass to the sink and started the coffee maker. As was his usual morning routine, he planned to have coffee with Rabbi, Cohen once he'd gotten Nate to school. James was already gone with Captain Rogers, and the subway to get Nate to class was only a fifteen-minute ride. "If it's there, it's everywhere. It's just getting worse there - and sooner or later, it'll show up in school-"

"Dad. I literally can hear what people are thinking if I concentrate just a little bit." Nate held his fingers a fraction of an inch apart. "And I don't have to listen if someone has seriously ill intent. They scream it."

"Alright, but I just know that teenagers have a harder time not projecting."

"What, you think that human teens are worse than mutants? Dad. I've been dealing with it the whole time I was in Westchester, only that was worse because they were all staring at me because they knew my parents were amazing superheroes that were on the original team and practically founded the school with Grampa Charlie. Believe me. This will be easy."

Scott suddenly looked much older as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Nate, please."

"I'm just saying. I've got this, Dad. It'll be fine." Nate slipped his backpack onto one shoulder. "Ooh, and I'm supposed to go with Katie after school. She talked her mom into letting her shop for cars too since James is. She's determined to get a car before him."

"Even if he gets one, it won't be drivable for a while," Scott pointed out.

"True, but you know how she is, Dad. She's gotta beat him sometimes - it's the whole birthday thing. She hates that he's a month older and looks like he's an adult."

"Looks," Scott pointed out with a laugh as he grabbed his keys and ushered him out the front door. "Just tell me why you need to go with Katie when you should be going with us."

"Um … she could actually die if I don't go with," Nate said with a totally unapologetic smile.

Scott chuckled to himself, but didn't argue it. "Alright, Nate. Have fun with Katie. Just remember it's your night for dishes."

When Scott returned home, he hit the steps at the same time as the rabbi, and he found himself mentally checking off one more thing on how his day was slipping away from him already.

"You know, I half think that the mothers in this neighborhood forgot you have two sons until Nate showed up full time again?" Rabbi Cohen told Scott even before the coffee was poured.

"It's probably better that way," Scott said with a grin, handing Toby his coffee before he took a seat himself. "Seeing as Nate and Katie aren't anywhere close to a split."

"Yeah, you might want to keep a close eye on those two," Toby said. "They have all the markers for trouble if they keep it up."

"They're not even old enough to drive," Scott laughed. "Their idea of a great date is a couple stolen kisses here and there. It's not serious yet."

Toby gave him a raised eyebrow look.

"It's not. But even if it was, she's a good kid and her parents are-"

"Good friends, I know, I know," Toby said, waving one hand. "Your other boy though-"

"I'm not letting anyone set him up, Toby. There's too many what ifs there."

"You'll change your mind when he gets caught up with some girl that's trouble from a family you haven't done a full background search on."

"Sure, Toby. I'm very certain that's going to be what happens."

"You never know," Toby said, then broke into a broad smile that Scott cut off at the pass.

"Rachel isn't interested. Don't start."

But that had Toby laughing outright. "Okay, okay. No matchmaking. I'll just send the hopeful suitors over with chocolates and flowers."

"Just make sure it's not dark chocolate," Scott said. "No one here likes that stuff."

Toby burst out laughing, and Scott refilled his cup before the two of them continued their planning and picking with the good rabbi even piping up on what to watch out for when Scott and James went looking for a Jeep with Steve - who had volunteered to drive the Jeep back - whenever they found one all three of them could agree on. A fact that amused Toby to no end.

"Katie's pushing to get a car first, but she'll still have to wait until she's sixteen to drive it," Scott laughed. "James will work on his until it's ready, but knowing him?"

"It'll be ready by the time he's old enough," Toby said, nodding. "And probably upgraded."

"We'll see. If he was going for upgrades, he'd have asked Tony to help," Scott pointed out.

"Yeah. But think about how that would look," Toby chuckled - a sound that now always got a smirk at minimum from all the Summers clan.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want a newer car?" Clint asked as he took Kate to look at the car she'd found online - with Nate joining them for the fun of it and Carol Danvers there to help check the mechanical side of things with Clint. It was pretty clear that the pictures didn't do justice to how dinged up the old car was. He was standing with a frown on his face, one hand on his hip as he tipped his head sideways at the psychedelic-painted '71 super Beetle. The top had tears in it, and the chrome bumper was rusty, too. But … the old flower-child woman that was floating out of her brownstone was grinning at Kate even before she could answer her dad.

The woman looked like a cross between a fortune teller and a straight up hippie, with long flowing hair riddled with gray streaks. Her skirt was flowing, and she wore at least three scarves with a chunky ring on every finger and her half moon glasses perched on the tip of her nose as she came closer. "Oh, yes. You look like exactly the kind of kindred spirit my Janice needs," the woman said, grinning widely at Kate as she bounced in place. "Namaste, brothers and sisters. I'm Meadow."

While Meadow was staring at Kate with a grin, Kate only had eyes for the Beetle. Which left it up to Clint to do all the requisite safety and mechanical checks. And while Clint and a very amused Carol were looking over the engine, starting the car, looking for trouble as it ran, and kicking the tires, more or less, Meadow was telling Kate all about Janice's adventures.

Including the fact that apparently, Janice had originally been white … but Meadow and her friends decided to start painting her one day. On closer inspection, Kate could see the layers of flowers and rainbows … peace signs and all sorts of other hippie-inspired artwork that had been painted on and worn off then painted over again several times. "I'm afraid she'll need at the least a new coat of paint," Meadow told Carol in a forlorn tone. "But if you do take her, I hate to even ask it where she can hear me, but … would you consider just one color? I might not be able to take it seeing my wild-woman friend crusing the streets without me."

"She's not a wild-woman," Clint said, wiping his hands free of grease and dirt from looking over the engine. "She's fifteen."

"Oh, not your daughter," Meadow said, shaking her head quickly before she rested her hand on the car's front fender. "Janice. She's a wild woman. You have to be careful about her, too - she likes to take her top off!"

Clint smirked at that as Kate laughed delightedly. "Can we take Janice for a drive?" Clint asked. "I know we need to see how she runs first."

"Oh, absolutely!" Meadow dug around in her purse for the keys and handed them to Carol - even though Clint was standing nearest the driver's side door. Carol of course simply grinned wider at Clint before stepping around him to take the wheel.

"What are you waiting for?" Carol asked. "Or do you want to stay and ask Meadow more questions about Janice?"

"Not … the worst of ideas in a great many worst ideas you've had," Clint admitted as Kate and Nate climbed in the beetle - giggling like they were getting away with a massive crime, though Meadow looked as if the deal was already done even before Carol started it up and headed off down the block.

"We should discuss things," Meadow told Clint as she patted his arm.

"I'd like to make sure she wants it first," he said, but Meadow was already smiling and shaking her head. "Katie-Kate gets ideas in her head sometimes, and there's no telling if it's just an idea of a real desire…"

"She'll want it. I've seen that look on my own face a hundred times. That girl will love that car."

Before the two of them could get too deeply into anything, Meadow was handing Clint all the information she had on Janice - including decades of meticulous record keeping on service, repairs, and improvements. "Like I said, Mr. Barton," Meadow said as she readjusted her glasses on the end of her nose. "Janice has been very important to me. The only reason I'm selling her now is because I no longer can drive. Seizures, you know. I'd hate to hit someone or bang up that car if I had a problem going down the road. Mechanically, she's in pretty good shape. I'm sure you can see most of her trouble is cosmetic."

"Yeah, it'll take some time to find a new top," Clint said.

"Which is great if she's just fifteen," Meadow said. "Plenty of time to get it right. Just … if you happen to find an old glass pipe, don't panic. It hasn't been used in years."

Clint couldn't stop the laugh, which was great timing as Carol took the last corner around the block at speed and a few moments later, the car came to a screeching halt in front of Meadow and Clint - and Kate was laughing hard.

"She handles pretty good," Carol called out as Kate tumbled out of the passenger side of the car.

"Yes, I should have mentioned that," Meadow said. "Mind the nitrous button near the radio. The tank's nearly out but it'll blow the engine if you hit it too often."

Carol was grinning wider on hearing it. "If you don't want it, I'll take it," she told Clint, but Kate whirled around to face her dad fast enough that her ponytail stuck straight out behind her.

"No! I love it!" Kate said. "Purple, dad! We can paint it purple!"

Nate was laughing outright still - not even attempting to hide his amusement as Kate had chosen her color - down to the exact shade - before Carol had taken the first corner.

"I should talk it over with your mother," Clint said, but he was cut off by a wide-eyed Kate. "She was hoping for something sleeker…"

"Daddy! Come on! If we don't take it, Carol will!"

"That's right, Daddy, Carol will," Carol said, arms crossed over her chest and even more amused than before.

"You know I hate it when you two team up on me, don't you?" When Carol nodded, Clint groaned and covered his eyes with one hand for a moment. "If Nat hates it, you'll buy it off me, right?"

"Oh yeah. But only if you leave the Nitrous system in there."

Kate was watching the two of them - though Nate was laughing harder than the rest as he could hear what Meadow was thinking - that she'd been right from the moment she saw them.

"Alright. We'll take it," Clint said, then pointed one finger at Carol. "Do not wreck my daughter's car on the way to my building."

"I thought I was taking it to the tower. For repairs. And paint."

Kate's entire expression fell. "NO!"

"Yeah, that's probably smart. Don't need anyone taking out aggression on it in the street," Clint said as Kate looked more frustrated to hear that her car would be living at the tower without her.

Carol grinned as Clint turned toward Meadow with a wry smile to pay her - and Carol dangled the keys in front of Kate. "I'll take good care of her, Katie."

"You better!" Kate made a failed snatch for the keys that she hadn't ever expected to actually get back. "And don't let Tony touch that paint!"

"Don't want race car red, Katie?" Nate teased.

"You really think I'm gonna let Tony, the man who's married to a fashion designer but who still thinks 80s punk is the height of fashion, come anywhere near-"

Nate burst out laughing all over again and grabbed her hand. "If you're that worried, I can nudge Tony into not touching it…"

Kate beamed and kissed him full on the mouth. "My hero."

* * *

On the other side of the city headed toward Westchester, the other car hunt was going rather slowly. Just because of the nature of what James wanted, there was a lot more intensive looking involved. Where Kate and her parents had to look for rust troubles with the frame, James, Scott, and Steve were looking into damage in addition to rust issues. All three of them were put to the test to find something that wasn't entirely on its last leg. If it wasn't hidden or badly disguised rust or frame damage, then there were other issues. Welded gears in the rear axle, worn out transmissions, head damage in the engine, electrical problems, and on one occasion, they even found that the transmission (which wasn't working right) had been welded into place by skid plates.

To put it mildly … there were a lot of disasters when it came to older Jeeps for the boy to sink his teeth into.

But finally, after a dozen short trips to look things over … Steve okayed one. And a short couple of scans later, Scott did too. Which brought them to the final round where the two adults asked intensive questions and James watched … and scented the air to see if the guy was lying about anything critical.

"I'm not gonna pull your leg," the seller said, gesturing to the mostly pristine looking Jeep. "I've had some fun with it on the trail, but … there's an exhaust leak I don't want to tackle, and I'm sure it'll need more because of how old it is. But it's a good little car. Climbs hills like a cat and starts up every time."

When the questioning was over, the three of them shared a look, and after James nodded along to what the others had to say "You've got six months anyhow before you're sixteen," Steve said. "That should be enough time to get it running the way you want it to."

"If all goes well," Scott added, though he was trying hard to hide the smile. The prospect of getting into a project like this with James had him in high spirits.

"I think it looks good," James said. "Better than the last few we've looked at for sure."

"Then let's do it," Scott said, still trying to restrain the smile.

"I'll drive it back," Steve said, not even close to hiding his grin while his back was to the guy selling. "Been a while."

Scott nodded and stepped around them to finish the deal, since, at fifteen, James still had a few years to go before he could legally own it anyhow.

"Heard you're not asking Tony for help," Steve said quietly. "Smart move."

"Hey, I just want it to drive - not fly," James said, which got a warmer, broader smile from Steve.

"I'm not the best, but I can help. Or supervise if you need it."

"Careful how loud you say that or it'll be you and dad working on it while I watch," James said. "But thanks. I think the two of us can handle it. I'll let you know if it gets to be a problem."

Steve dropped a hand on James' shoulder and gave him a little shake. "Hard to believe you're going to be driving."

"Not if we don't get it fixed," James pointed out, which had Steve laughing.

"It drove alright when we tested it," Steve said. "It'll be good. Don't worry. It's a Jeep. It might need a little work now and again, but it's made to take abuse."

"Ah. My spirit animal," James deadpanned, though Steve only chuckled at that before Scott returned with papers in hand and a smiling seller to hand the keys to Steve.

"We'll follow you," Scott said. "Give us a little chance to start up a plan of attack on this rig."

"And I'll let you know if I see anything critical on the drive back," Steve agreed before they loaded up and headed back.

James thanked both the seller and Steve before he followed Scott to their car, and once they were moving and a little down the road, Scott had to start teasing. Just a little. He was already immensely proud of the kid anyhow, but this was a big step. Repairs pending or not, it was a step in the right direction.

When they got back home, Nate and Kate were on the front steps with Clint - and grinning widely. Though Kate had to laugh when she saw Steve climbing out of the Jeep. "Sounds rougher than it is," Steve said, momentarily ignoring Kate after he got the Jeep in the garage.

"Oh my God," Kate laughed. "My car is older but yours … yours is so worn out."

"Nah," James said. "It just needs some minor fixes."

"No, like … exact opposite," Nate said, grinning since he'd listened to Kate talk about how amazing the bug was for the last two hours. "Yours looks good but sounds like crap. Hers looks like crap-"

"Hey!"

"But sounds great," Nate finished, laughing when Kate shoved him. "Hers has nitrous too!"

"It won't for long," Clint said, earning a groan from Kate.

"Dad, that's the best part!"

"Uh-huh."

"Mom would let me keep it!"

"Mom will help me get rid of it."

"Not when I point out how good it is for escapes!"

"Escapes from what - handsy Summerses?" Clint asked, though Nate just nodded solemnly and put his hand on Kate's waist, distracting her right back into her good mood.

"Doesn't matter. We got mine first," Kate said, turning back to James. "And it'll be roadworthy before yours, because mine just needs a top and some paint."

"And you need a driver's license," James pointed out with a smirk. "Which I'll still have a month before you."

"What good will that do you when your heap isn't even functioning?" Kate laughed.

"I guess we'll just have to see how that works out over the summer," James countered - though both of them were laughing, and by the time Scott stepped up with Steve to break up the back and forth, Kate had rushed over to look the Jeep over - and had even asked if she could help supervise the reconstruction.

Which meant that at least the three teenagers would be safely distracted for a good portion of the summer once school was out.


	31. Blindsided

While the race to drive had been one filled with competition and _many_ ups and downs between Kate and James, it was still debatable as to who the winner was. Yes, Kate's car had started out being perfectly drivable, but it had ended up needing a lot more TLC than even Carol had suspected.

The first thing that had happened, of course, was Natasha yanking out the Nitrous system - which ended up being the beginning of a slide for _Janice_. A peek in the engine had revealed that years with the throttle in a bottle had done subtle but serious damage to the heads. Which meant that there was a full engine rebuild to be done, leaving Natasha promising Kate with an amused smirk: "She needs a full new identity. Entirely. Obviously that means she needs a new engine as well."

"With … an engine that doesn't need the juice?" Kate asked with a grin, hoping her mother wold go for it.

"No," Natasha replied with a cheshire cat smile. "But it was worth a try."

James' work with his father and Steve had been steady, though. One thing would break - or show it self to be on the edge and they'd replace the problem or fix it, then a week later, they'd find something else. It was slow, steady repairs - all of which seemed to coincide well with how long it took them to order in new parts. But by the time he got his license, he was able to drive it. A little. For the month between his birthday and Kate's he got exactly two weeks of good driving before another broken part. Which meant Kate got to giggle her way through _her_ birthday being the only one between them that could drive at the moment.

And it continued that way for the rest of the school year and even into Summer, though Kate's car would have it's own fits with less irritating regularity. Especially when James' car was working in prime convertible weather and Kate's decided it needed a new transmission. She just counted it as a good time though, when the Summers brothers stepped up to fix it for her. They had plenty of practice, after all.

* * *

Nate had only gone to the school in Westchester long enough to get a handle on his powers, though he and Rachel had been messing around with their telekinesis and telepathy for _years_ so they had more than their fair share of lectures from their dad about keeping their powers under wraps before, during and after their time at Xavier's.

But even if Nate wasn't _as_ careful at home, he _was_ careful at school, because he was the quarterback on the varsity team, and he did _not_ want anyone to think he was cheating. Especially because he was only a sophomore. He'd worked his butt off to get on the team, between recovering from injuries and bulking up enough to compete after being out of group sports for a couple of years. Even with those odds stacked against him, he had only ever cheated once - _accidentally_ , during practice, and then it was only because he hadn't known Kate was going to try out for the cheerleading squad. She'd been captain of the archery team her freshman and sophomore year, so … it was kind of a shock. He hadn't expected her to go all in with cheerleading when she had been so aggressively competitive with every single sport she chose to go into.

Nate had just finished up practice when Kate came bounding over with a crooked grin on her face and grabbed his arm. "Come on!" she said. "I have Jan's notebook, and we've _got_ to show Mia some of the designs she came up with!"

 _You're attracting attention,_ Nate projected to her.

_Oh, please. They all think we're going to find a hot makeout spot. Go ahead. Mind scan them and tell me I'm wrong._

Nate rolled his eyes - but he couldn't exactly argue with Kate, and the next thing he knew, they were in her purple VW on the way to Westchester with the top down. He'd already texted his dad to let him know that he and Kate were dropping in on Mia one last time before the fall semester officially started.

Everyone was trying to reach out and cheer Mia up more lately since she'd been in an honest funk about how there had been some advances in tech that screwed with image inducers, so she had to play it safe unless it was a known safe spot. Or relatively safe. The life of a part demon was a rough one, and it was taking its toll on the kindhearted young woman. So of course, specifically designed uniforms would cheer her up considerably.

"Jan and I are trying to decide if I need a midriff shirt or if I should go with a one-sleeve archer look," Kate said as Nate looked over the sketches that Jan had come up with. She had already designed Rachel's _official_ Avengers outfit now that Rachel was eighteen and old enough that Scott couldn't stop her from joining the team full time - which she did. He'd had a hard time adjusting to that little change, and just about the time he'd gotten his anxiety under control, Nate had started wearing his dad down on letting him join up too the same way Rachel had when she was his age.

But these uniforms? They had X's on them, and not even the other Avengers knew that Jan was working on this project with them.

"Mia said she wanted something like her dad wore - you know, Nightcrawler-style. But with her white hair, we wanted to do more white accents than her dad had," Kate said. "And with yours, I wanted something that accents your football bod." She grinned over at him. "If you've got it, flaunt it."

Nate laughed and shook his head. "The story of your life."

"Oh, totally," Kate agreed. "Do you think you could get James to finally look at some of the sketches? I know he says he's not sure if he wants to join the secret club, but Jan has some drawn up anyhow and they're pretty amazing…"

"He's just worried about Dad," Nate said. "And, he's kind of been drawing his attention away from _us_ and the secret club with the whole ... Jeep project, to be honest, so it's been good for our plotting purposes. We'll get James to join. Eventually."

"I thought your dad knew you were training to be Avengers? He signed off on all three of you."

"Yeah, but he's suspicious and James hasn't taken up Tony or Cap on the offer," Nate said. "And Dad's got his psychic defenses up _all_ the time, so I think his paranoia's through the roof."

"Your dad is _always_ paranoid," Kate said, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, but there's paranoid," Nate said holding his hand up around chest level. "And then there's _Dad._ " He held his hand well over his head.

"He's going to have to get over it sooner or later. Rachel's doing _great_ on the Avengers. I totally love the hood-cape-thing she's got going on to hide her face and hair too. It's _gorgeous_."

"You underestimate him."

"Apparently."

"So … do you wanna get going before Dad calls up and says to forget Westchester?" Nate asked.

Kate grinned. "Um, yes. But before you pick out your makeout spot, lemme show these sketches to Mia first. I sort of already called her."

"You know, I could just … project them …"

"It's not the same, Nate," Kate laughed.

"Says you," Nate laughed with her.

"Hey, you're just _cheating_ , you… telepathic goon."

"I'm teasing, you know that, right?" Nate said. "I can be _patient_." _For a while._

 _You so can't,_ Kate said, laughing even in her mental voice as she pushed the speed limit. _And if you try and have a psychic makeout with me and we get in a wreck, I am blaming you and throwing you under every single bus._

_Pretty sure I could TK us out of trouble if it came down to it._

_Your dad would kill us both. Straight up murder in the streets._

_Yeah, he's a total killer,_ Nate replied, almost snorting to himself.

Kate laughed. _I'm speeding for you, I hope you know. If I get another ticket, Mom will hang you by your thumbs._

Nate grinned crookedly at her. _If you get pulled over, I'll make him think he pulled over Dazzler. He'll be starstruck._

_You're hilarious._

_Totally serious._

_Yeah, I know. Which makes you that much better._ Kate laughed to herself - which really just meant a whole lot of telepathic flirting all the way to Westchester.

Though Kate and Nate were surprised when they got to Westchester and they weren't the only ones there to visit. Though it was incredibly close to the start of the school year, there were some new students - a pair of twin boys that looked exactly alike except for their hair - and Mia was giving them the tour. They were just making the rounds in front of the school, and Mia waved at both of them as she passed - then teleported over to say hello, even though she wasn't supposed to teleport, even now that she had a handle on it, and even though they had no neighbors close enough to the school to _see_ her unless they were someone going out of their way to spy. And someone likely was.

"Gimme," Mia said, grinning widely as she devoured the designs that Jan and Kate had come up with. "Ooh, can you elongate the shoulders more? I want to look a little more like my dad."

"Something Jan _hasn't_ heard lately," Nate said under his breath as Kate nodded to Mia and handed her the pencil to make notes in the margins with her requests.

"This is amazing.. but I have to go back to my tour. They're cute, don't you think? My new students?" Mia asked with a crooked smile as her tail swayed lazily behind her.

"If you flirt with the kid with white hair, you'd totally match," Kate teased.

"Oh, like Kate and Nate?" Mia shot right back.

"Ex-actly."

Mia laughed and then teleported back to the boys - and Kate burst out laughing when she realized that Mia had taken the white-haired twin's arm to pull him along.

"This is why she's my best friend," Kate said. "Ugh. If her mom wasn't so nervous about how people would react to another blue Avenger, she'd be on the team with me already." _We so have to hurry up with the X-debut. This gets stupider the older we get!_

 _Yeah, but you know James is right,_ Nate said. _We need a place to start, and we don't have anywhere to start yet that would_ need _the X-Men over the Avengers. Just a matter of time - I'm not totally making excuses for him._

 _Not 'totally' anyway,_ Kate said before she grinned and stole a kiss. _I'm perfectly fine with waiting for a dramatic debut._

_You would be._

_Hey, you never know. Maybe the MRD pulls something super duper stupid..._

_We'll know it when we see it,_ Nate said.

Kate grinned, and she was ready to move on to something else - except that she spotted something unusual and let out a gasp. "Um. I think I see it."

Nate turned and swore under his breath when he saw what or _who_ had Kate sounding like that. "You never know … maybe it's … nah, who am I kidding, that's trouble." He pulled on her hand. "Come on. We should go see how bad it's going to be."

Kate was wide-eyed as she let him pull her toward the slightly levitating Magneto, who was mostly staying back from Mia's tour as he looked around the school, frowning to himself the more he saw. He seemed like he was building anger, and Nate and Kate _thought_ they'd just been sneaky in their attempt to look like they were going to talk to Ororo until he turned their way with his cape billowing behind him.

"Oh, hi!" Kate said with a bright smile, holding onto Nate's hand a little tighter - which was really quite the picture for Erik seeing a Scott lookalike in a football jersey and a girl in a cheerleading uniform.

"Ah. Young Mr. Summers. I wasn't aware that the school had progressed to a point of playing with the locals," Erik said.

"Oh, no, we go to school in the city," Nate said.

Erik frowned at that. "Why on earth would you want to do that?"

"Um, because I'm the quarterback," Nate said.

"But we come here and hang out with Mia and everyone," Kate said brightly when Erik looked annoyed.

"Are you here for anyone in particular?" Nate asked, unconsciously stepping a little in front of Kate. "Or are you just visiting for fun?" He smiled up at Erik, trying to defuse what should have been a peaceful situation, but certainly didn't feel like it. "Just trying to figure out how to help best."

"I came to see the school that my grandsons would be attending," Erik said, narrowing his eyes as he looked around.

Nate's eyebrows went up. "Your grandsons?" he asked.

"Thomas and William," Erik said.

"That's great," Nate said. "Are they the twins? I saw them just a little while ago when we came in - they were going to the greenhouse with Mia, I think." He jogged closer to Erik. "Have you been by since they added the new dormitory wing?"

"No, I'm afraid I've been too busy with more pressing matters… But I see now that I should have come by far sooner."

"It's pretty nice," Nate said. "I didn't go here for too long just because I got control of things fast. Didn't want to take up space for a kid that needed more help."

Erik's glare softened slightly. "You sound like your father, Mr. Summers."

"Of course I do," Nate said with a winning smile before he gestured to the doors. "I know he'd like to say hello and he should be here soon. He wasn't far behind us."

"Good. I think I'd like to speak with him," Erik said, turning on his heel as soon as his feet finally touched the ground.

Nate nodded to himself and led the way, even going so far as to hold the door open so Erik could pass through, and inside Mia was indeed going over part of the daily schedule with the two boys.

 _You're really cute when you're all… taking charge of a tour to a school you don't even go to,_ Kate projected to Nate.

 _Family duty,_ Nate replied quickly - and she could feel the smile in his tone.

_You're loving this, aren't you?_

_Not really. I didn't know Magneto even left Genosha for anything this small._

_Well, they're his grandkids. Everyone's got a soft spot for something, right?_

_You obviously haven't heard what kind of dad he was. Is._

_Um, no, I was busy learning how to shoot a bullseye with my eyes closed._

_Yeah, well, my uncle Alex married his youngest and I didn't need to practice as hard as you, so …_

_You're such a cheater! TK doesn't count!_

_Doesn't need to. I'm just that good._

_You cheat. Don't lie._

_Not lying. Not cheating._

_Okay, that's it. You, me, and a target range._

_You got it, beautiful. Prepare to lose._

The two of them rushed off, though that left Erik looking over the school and getting angrier all over again the more he saw. The trappings were the same with the rich dark woods throughout the house just as Charles had always rebuilt it, but what he overheard from the students and in bits of the tour Mia had given them was repression and hiding.

So by the time Scott and James arrived twenty minutes later- grinning and in the Jeep they'd been working on together - Scott was absolutely not expecting it when instead of Ororo or any of their friends, he was met at the door by Erik, who by that time was _livid_.

"Have you lost your _mind_?" Erik's voice thundered through the halls, halting all motion and drawing the attention of all the young people and teachers alike who were milling about.

Scott blinked and then unconsciously straightened up as the door closed hollowly behind him. "Hello, Erik."

Erik didn't pause. "Is this how you intend to honor Charles' memory? This is nothing like the dream he instilled in you, and you know it. How dare you put his name on this mockery of an institution? It's a sham and a disgrace. You're teaching mutants nothing but shame and silence? Have I been gone for so long in Genosha? Have you drifted so far that you can't remember anything he taught you? This is how you repay your professor, your mentor, the man who gave you everything? He treated you like a _son_! _How dare you_?"

Scott looked like he'd been hit, and he fell back a step. "What…"

"Hey," James said, stepping in front of Scott and driving forward to get right into Erik's face with Scott quick to catch up to him and keep him from completely going after Erik, though the growl that thickened with every word showed how fine a margin Scott was fighting against. "What the hell are _you_ doing to honor that legacy outside of floating around and treating people like crap? Everyone here is learning what they need to _survive_. You don't get to sweep in here and take your inadequacies out on my Dad. _Back off_."

"What am _I_ doing?" Erik shot back holding his ground save for the fact that he floated up a few more inches as James looked ready to pounce. "I have created a place where mutants are _free_. They don't need to cower and hide in disgrace as they're doing here. They walk proudly through my streets."

"So you think holing up on an island isn't _hiding?_ " James challenged.

"I don't ask them to hide what they _are_ ," Erik snapped.

"No, because they've got a hundred miles of ocean between them and anyone lacking an x-gene."

"That is the point," Erik said. "But clearly, I've been gone too long. _How_ Charles' disciples could turn his dream into _this_ -"

" _Disciples_ ... " James sputtered as his lip curled up. "He wasn't the one to act like he thought he was a _God_ , expecting people to fall at his feet to pay obeisance _._ You really have trouble with comprehension if that's what you took out of everything the professor wrote."

"James, it's fine," Scott said, one hand on James' arm. "I've got this."

James let out a breath and took a step back to stand next to Scott, though he was clearly still upset. A feeling that only grew as Erik sneered and tipped his nose up to look down at them.

"I see you've managed to train this one to _heel_ better than the last. Though I suppose it helps that you got him so early on in life," Erik said.

The response from James was instant - a rippling snarl echoed around the hall as he darted forward - and Erik barely shot up in the air out of reach. But Scott grabbed James' arm, slowing him from catching Erik, and then stood between them. He knew James would keep going when his reaction was that strong if he didn't put an end to it quickly. "If you have an issue with me, take it up with me. But that is my _son_ and if you won't speak to him in a _civilized_ manner, then you aren't welcome on the premises, no matter who you have here at the school."

"Scott isn't wrong, but I thought you knew that he doesn't teach here, Erik," Storm said - her voice echoing the commanding tones of a Goddess as she made her presence known. "There is no need to speak to either of them in such an uncivilized manner. If you take issue in how I run _my_ school, I'll thank you to take it up with me. Now. Shall we be civilized or do we need to see who wins between lightning bolt and lightning rod?"

Erik narrowed his eyes as he turned to face her before he nodded. "Then you're the one I'd like to speak to about this… _situation_ ," he said. "I'd assumed that he'd turned his nose up at my generous offers to stay in Genosha because of this place. Clearly I was wrong."

Ororo smiled tightly, and stepped forward. "I won't speak for Scott's reasoning beyond saying that I'm sure he was more concerned with his family's happiness than yours. For the rest, you know where my office is."

Erik spun, though he didn't miss the chance to pause long enough to look James up and down with a disgusted expression. Though, James returned the favor in kind with a look of pure loathing that Scott hadn't seen since _Logan_ had squared up with Magneto. As Erik passed them by, Mia teleported over and grabbed both Scott and James then teleported them out of there.

"Ohmigosh I've never heard you _snarl_ before," she gasped out to James.

"Didn't mean to," James said from between his teeth with a growl still lacing his tone.

"It's an instinct when you're that mad," Scott said.

"Doesn't make what he said any better, then, does it?" James said, which only had Scott looking more upset on hearing it.

"No one that's ever known you believes that," Scott told him earnestly, but James didn't look like he bought it.

Mia looked between them before she let her shoulders drop. "Okay, well… do you want to help with the tour, maybe? I'm pretty sure we can stretch out the rest of it to give you some space."

"I don't know if that's the best idea or not." James held her gaze for a moment as he thought it over then turned to Scott. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Scott promised.

"He just … hit a sore spot I guess. I'm sorry."

"You've got nothing to apologize for," Scott promised, resting one hand on James' shoulder. "He has that effect on just about everyone."

"Are you _sure_ you're alright?" James asked, still looking like he'd go back to take a shot if he needed to. "Because I don't mind grabbing a hold of that cape and strangling him with it."

"James, I'm fine. It's been long enough I've heard all of it more than enough," Scott said.

"You know, if I'm not allowed to lie to you -"

Scott let out a breath. "He had a point."

"Doesn't make it okay to take out his shortcomings on you. And who the hell does he think he is - no one asked him to speak for anyone here," James said, still clearly irritated with Erik.

"Um, yeah, he's like that," a new voice broke into the conversation - and the twin boys from earlier poked their heads in as James and Scott turned toward them. The boy with dark hair waved the tips of his fingers. "Hey. Billy Maximoff. I don't think I've ever seen anyone tear my grandfather up like that."

"He asked for it," James said- entirely unapologetic and watching to see what the story was with this kid.

"Yeah, he usually does," Billy's twin said with a shrug. "Hi. I'm Tommy - or _Thomas_ if you're listening to the old man. You know, since Billy didn't intro me. I think he's still caught up in the snarls."

"Older siblings are like that," James said without missing a beat. "Forgetting to intro the younger ones."

"Ha!" Billy said, though Tommy was already shaking his head.

"Fifteen seconds _does not count_. And we're not entirely sure I wasn't first - you just got Mom's attention first!"

James let out a breath and raised his hand. "I'm James. Sorry if I startled you."

"Nah, we grew up on Genosha," Tommy said. "And I can blow up a block. You're kinda loud, but hey, we've seen worse."

"I've just never seen anyone stand up to him that _effectively_ ," Billy said with a badly hidden smile.

"I didn't realize it was a big deal," James said, crossing his arms as he started to get his temper in check.

"It was great; don't apologize," Billy grinned.

"I wasn't planning to," James said, finally relaxing enough to smirk a little. "I try to keep my head down when I'm here."

"Well that was the best fail I've ever seen," Mia laughed delightedly. "You should do that more!"

Scott smirked as he backed off from the conversation, still shaking his head to himself over the whole thing. James really was so much like his father sometimes. But now, he was talking with kids his own age, and Scott wasn't going to get in the middle of that. So, he went toward Ororo's office so he could back her up.

"So who'd you have to kill to get off the island?" James asked, which Scott managed to snerk at on his way out - and that, if nothing else got James to let his smile peek out. He knew Scott wouldn't be able to relax if he was worried about James … and vice versa.

"Actually, Mom wanted us to meet people who weren't, you know…" Billy started to say.

"Crazy?" James offered.

"Um, no," Billy said. "But everyone on Genosha kind of treats our family like royalty."

"Mom wants us to meet some normal people," Tommy put in.

"Welcome to the mainland," Mia giggled.

"Yeah, but you're cute," Tommy pointed out, grinning obnoxiously at Mia. "So I think I'm in favor of sticking around…"

Billy covered his eyes with his hand. "I'm sorry. He's just like this."

"Not surprised," James said. "Gonna have to compensate for that fifteen seconds for the rest of his life."

Billy grinned outright. "Oh yeah. I like you."

"You just like him because he agreed with you," Tommy grumped.

"Well, and he's cute," Billy pointed out.

"Hey, you're not so bad yourself, little prince," James said, without missing a beat, though he almost looked surprised at himself for saying as much.

Billy grinned a little wider. "Mind showing me around? I could use a tour guide my brother _isn't_ hitting on."

"Sure," James said. "But I was never a student, and I'm only here now and again. So I'm not an _official_ tour guide."

"Yeah, well, maybe I'm more interested in something other than the school," Billy said.

James tipped his head for a moment and smiled crookedly in spite of himself. "Okay." He glanced over his shoulder at Mia, who was close by him still. "You might want to rethink that - Storm will get mad if you had two tours and still can't find your way around." He turned away from Billy for a moment to try to catch Mia who was flirting with Tommy _shamelessly_. He had to clear his throat twice to get her attention, too. Which made it more interesting since … James could swear that Billy was flirting too … "Hey. Mia. What did you guys miss?"

"Well, we covered almost everything in the school. We still haven't hit the grounds all the way," Mia admitted, though before she could get too much farther, there was a gasp from the hallway, and the Scarlet Witch stood there with her hands over her mouth.

"You look _just_ like him," she breathed out. "I can't believe you've _grown_ so much since the last time I saw you!"

The little group of teenagers shared looks and unconsciously grouped up facing her as Wanda came closer. "Hi," James said. "No one's said it was _that_ close." He offered her his hand as he introduced himself, tense with her approach considering how _friendly_ Erik had been.

Wanda took his hand, then reached up to rest her other hand on his cheek, still staring at him. "You look amazing, James, really."

"Thanks... I think," James said, glancing at the twins and Mia because for him, this was a little different than the norm. And much more warm than her father had been.

Wanda smiled and then turned to her boys, shifting her position so both of her hands were on James' shoulders and they were facing the twins. "Remember what I told you about the X-Men? This is Wolverine's son."

"Oh, cool," Tommy said. "Have you got metal bones too?"

"Definitely not," James said without missing a beat. "That wasn't standard equipment."

"You can't just ask someone if they have _metal bones_ ," Billy said, sounding scandalized.

"Why not? Seemed like an important detail in the stories," Tommy said with a shrug.

"To be fair, I think you would have known if I had metal bones already," James pointed out.

"True. It would be hard to stand up to the old man with that," Tommy agreed.

"But not impossible," James shot back with a troublemaking look as Wanda grinned wider still at his response.

"Okay, so… we clearly missed something here," Kate said as she and Nate were the last to join the group - a little disheveled and grinning crookedly.

"That's what happens when you're sucking face under the bleachers. Or something," James said, then gestured to Nate. "Nice lipstick - not your color though. Brings out the bruises."

Nate didn't look the least bit apologetic, even as Wanda went right to him with the same smile, taking his face in her hands too. "And you! Last time I saw you, you were just a toddler, and now you look _just_ like your father!"

"I think she's just saying that to everyone today," James said as he elbowed Kate. "Sorry Katie. Condolences."

"Yeah, well, I don't look like either of my parents, so I'm fine," she said with a shrug.

"Yeah, you had an Iowa hick and a Russian spy…" Nate smirked. "Someone cheated, clearly."

"Milkman?" James suggested, eyes narrowed - in an expression the Summers boys shared that made it clear this was a common tease.

Kate giggled. "Last week, it was the pizza delivery guy," she told Mia.

"And the week before that, it was _Tony_ ," Nate giggled.

"That one was the most believable, really," Kate said. "Especially since he keeps trying to steal me."

"He's like that with me too," James said. "Steal all the kids."

"Evil pied piper that he is."

"Well he _does_ have the best toys," James pointed out.

"Okay, you guys are hilarious, clearly, but I was having a _tour_ ," Tommy said as properly as he could just before grabbing Mia's arm. "Which is faster, do you think - teleporting or running?"

"One way to find out," Mia said - and the next second, they were both _gone_.

"Oh great," James said. "Now there's two of them."

"That's what I was thinking," Billy said, shaking his head.

James smirked at that and turned back to Wanda. "Nice to meet you, but I think I need to go outside and finish the tour before your father returns. _If_ we're gonna finish it. So." he looked over at Nate and Kate "You two can go back to your hiding spot or you can go with us. Dad's busy with Storm and the battle axe in the cape."

"I would apologize for him, but it wouldn't stop him from being awful again," Wanda said. "He never could be civil with your parents, James. I don't think he realizes how it comes off."

"That or he doesn't _care_ how it comes off," James said, which had Wanda looking remorseful as once again, she couldn't help but touch the side of his face again in a familiar, motherly gesture that James just wasn't used to. It was enough that James dropped her gaze, which had Wanda looking somehow even more sympathetic.

"I should go help Scott and Storm with him," Wanda said. "Please, try to forget my father's poor manners."

"Should we be concerned?" Kate asked.

"I don't know," James admitted. "I lost my temper a little bit."

"That _is_ a big deal," Nate said, one eyebrow raised. "You never do that."

"Yeah, well, he was being a jerk to Dad and I kind of slipped," James said. "Might have snarled a little." He was holding his thumb and forefinger just a sliver apart

"Um, what did he say and how far do you think I can throw him with TK?" Nate asked with a deepening frown.

"It doesn't really matter what he said," James said, glancing at Wanda, who seemed to relax on hearing it. "He didn't seem to have expected the growl, and when I charged him, he took off fast."

"I'm kinda sad we missed it," Kate said.

"Yeah, I'm sure it was a real show stopper," James snorted. "Sixteen year old threatens senior citizen…"

"It was great," Billy said. "Really. He needs someone to stand up to him sometimes, and Mom usually has to do it."

"How mad would he be if you headed off away from the mansion?" James asked. "Don't want to take off on my Dad, but we could hit a trail in the woods for a while. You'll probably want to know those from someone that doesn't have instant travel down."

"Hey, I'm not, like, attached by a leash or anything. I'm allowed to take a walk with a cute guy," Billy said, which again had James unconsciously pausing.

"Walk nothing, I've got my Jeep outside. and there trails go for miles." James tipped his head. "Technically, it would be touring the grounds and I'd like to get away from … everyone for a little bit."

Billy laughed. "Bye, Mom!" he said, one arm around James' back as they led the way with Kate and Nate following close behind with matching grins. "See you at Christmas!"


	32. Culture Shock

The little foursome made their way out through the entryway with no sign of Erik or Scott anywhere, though there were still quite a few students milling about who watched James pass them by with wide-eyes. James tactfully ignored them as he and Billy led the way with Nate and Kate holding hands and making eyes at each other on their way out the front door. Which of course, James commented on only by the expression on his face showing how weary he was at their constant PDA.

Once he'd taken a moment _outside_ to ask Billy where they'd been already, he gestured toward the little red Jeep and they started toward it with Kate bouncing at what was to come.

"Are you sure we should be taking this thing off road?" Nate asked as he and Kate clambered into the back of the Jeep. "You just got it driving again."

"Yeah, and now it's time to break something so I can have something to _fix_ ," James said in a tone that read it was the most reasonable thing in the world. "But if you don't want to try driving once we're out of sight of the school ... "

"I thought you weren't going to _share,"_ Nate teased.

"Well I wasn't … but then Dad mentioned looking for a car for _you_ and I remembered I was going to need to change the clutch out _anyhow_ , so if you're going to learn, it's better to do it _now_ when it's okay if you tear it up." James gave Nate a pointed look. "Unless you don't want a car, and if that's the case, I'll quit looking."

"Hey, no. But for the record, it's not my fault that your windshield broke," Nate said, holding up both hands.

"No, it was some _other_ telekinetic that folded it forward just before it shattered."

"Still not my fault," Nate said as Kate snuggled in with him. "I didn't know it was going to be that easy to fold over."

"It has a _hinge_ ," James said, sounding exasperated - and making it clear that this wasn't the first time the two of them had gone back and forth about this particular set back.

"It _did_ give you something else to fix though, right?" Kate teased.

"You suck, Katherine," James said in a breath - which only had Kate kicking his seat for revenge. Even if she was grinning at him.

"Can't have it both ways," Kate sang. "Either you're mad about it being broken or you're happy you had something to fix!"

James' response was to let the car shoot forward, setting Kate back in her seat - laughing all the way as they headed off into the trees and down the trails. They were barely into the woods when the radio suddenly turned on and tuned itself to Nate's favorite station, which had James letting out a sigh before he reached over to lower the volume. "You're a _horrible_ little brother."

"I'm amazing and you know it," Nate replied, smiling smugly. "How about the trail that goes through the creek? It rained a few days ago, but it's probably not _too_ deep."

"That depends on if Kate can handle getting wet," James said. "It was still deep enough to go into the floorboards the last time you and I went through it."

"I can lift my feet," Kate said, demonstrating by resting her feet on the back of his seat again and jostling it carefully. "See? What about you, Billy? Are you okay with wet feet?"

"It might be fun," Billy said, smiling at the company and the bumpy trail as they flung sticky mud going through the still-wet lower sections of the trail. He'd never gotten to do _this_ before, let alone with kids his own age in an entirely unstructured setting.

"Alright then," James said, nodding to himself before he looked up at Nate and Kate in his rear view. "If one of you wouldn't mind playing tour-guide Barbie, that would be great. Whoever does a better job gets to drive next."

Nate groaned to himself as Kate straightened up and did her very best tour-guide impression, though it was a little jilted as James hit deeper mud holes, winging mud everywhere and cracking Kate up as she tried to describe the events as they happened. Especially after James drove the Jeep between two trees close enough on both sides to make the mirrors fold in against the body. "Please keep all hands and legs _inside_ the vehicle as our driver seems to have no respect for things like _trees_ getting too close!" She shoved his shoulder as James chuckled to himself. "Crazy driver!"

"But did you die?" James called back - which had Nate laughing outright before he dove in to take over on the _actual_ description of where they were in relation to the school. It wasn't long after that when James stopped on a drier patch of land and Kate called out the next order of business.

"Me next!"

"No way, you didn't even do the good part," Nate laughed - laughing harder when James handed him the keys before he turned to Billy.

"I know it's asking a lot, but can you ride back there with the lunatic while I help my brother learn how to shift?" James asked. "She probably won't bite."

"Probably," Nate agreed. "No guarantees."

"She _was_ raised by circus folk and a spy," James added with a crooked grin - hoping to rile her a little more.

"I thought she was the milkman's baby," Billy replied with a badly hidden grin of his own, though at least he wasn't blushing like he was _afraid_ he'd be doing.

"Undetermined. Your guess is as good as ours," James replied without missing a beat. "But she was still _raised_ by a carnie and a spy. Who knows _what_ her real parents were. Might be alien for all we know. Might explain her obsession with paleolithic weaponry."

Kate let out a sigh of longsuffering as Billy grinned wider and climbed into the backseat even as Nate bounced on his toes next to James doing his very best annoying little brother impression to get the keys. "Hi," Kate said, going back to friendly and approachable as the brothers talked between themselves on what Nate needed to be doing. All while Nate impatiently tried to wave James off as he told him he'd just take the instructions out of his thoughts. "How unfortunate for you to ditch your brother and end up getting stuck with these two."

"Yes, 'unfortunate,'" Billy agreed, not at all able to keep a straight face with that description. "This is the most fun I've had in forever! We don't get to spend much time around people our age back home."

Kate gave Billy her most dramatically sympathetic expression. "Poor sad little dragon locked up in his tower."

"Prince?"

"I said what I said."

"You guys have weird senses of humor; you know that?"

"We kinda have to," Kate pointed out. "We were all raised in the shadow of one of the worst tragedies to ever hit superpowered beings. If we didn't have senses of humor, we'd all be like Nate's dad and- hey! Nate! I know I was thinking about cutting my hair, but you don't have to do it for me with a _car crash taking the rest of my head off too_!" Kate called out, interrupting her train of thought when it was simply impossible to pass up teasing her boyfriend when he took a turn too hard and Kate and Billy both had to duck to miss the whiplash from the tree branch.

Billy was laughing right along with Kate - it was impossible not to - but he was still curious, so he tried to steer the conversation back when Kate looked like she had stopped telepathically flirting with her boyfriend. "How did you get mixed in with everyone, then?" he asked. "I mean, you're not a second gen-"

"Oh, Storm rescued me from some mobsters after the Phoenix killed my birth parents," Kate said in a perfectly matter-of-fact tone that didn't _quite_ fit what to Billy's mind was a whole lot of big revelations at once. "I was pretty little, so I don't remember much, but I do remember that Tony kept trying to convince me I should pick _him_ over my mom. Which was never gonna happen."

Billy blinked and shook his head. "And all I've got is an android for a dad," he joked.

"Which is still _so cool_ ," Kate promised - and then promptly got distracted teasing Nate again.

The Jeep jackrabbited forward in a massive lurch as Nate got them going again - bouncing Kate and Billy _hard_ in the back, though James had at least braced himself for it - and was visibly trying _not_ to swear as Nate played with learning how to shift. All three of them cringed the first time the gears began to grind, but with every shift, Nate _was_ getting better. Not good enough to avoid grinding the gears _at all_ but better all the same.

James was doing his best to help Nate navigate through the worst stuff they found - even standing up in his seat to get a better view of what they were headed into when the mud looked questionable. But most of that section of trail was easy driving … just a seriously bumpy trail that snaked through the trees that they had to go slow through. But it _was_ perfect for Nate to practice shifting.

Which was fine, all the way up until Kate had to speak up. "Okay, but is this offer to drive open to everyone or is it just _favoritism_ to Summers?"

James tipped his head back so he could see her between the seats. "Are you going to break something?"

"Would you love me more if I did?" Kate asked with a grin.

"Um … A) I thought you were happy with the Summers you have, and B) - it depends on if you strand us or not."

She held up one hand, the other over her heart. "Okay. I am _very_ happy with the one I have. Eew. Don't put pictures in my head and I won't strand us. Probably."

James gave her a dry look. "Then you get to go _last_."

"Oh, you're gonna let the new guy go before me?" Kate asked, sounding scandalized.

"I doubt he'd _break something_ first time out," James said, with Nate nodding sagely beside him.

"I … probably shouldn't," Billy said, holding one hand up and blushing lightly. "I've never driven anything before. No reason to on Genosha."

Kate looked sympathetic as James turned around more fully. "Don't let Nate scare you off just because he doesn't know how to drive worth a damn. It's not his fault. He spends all his time staring at Kate."

"Hey!" Nate shoved James hard, which had James smiling widely at how easily Nate was riled. "I can drive just fine! Maybe I'm having trouble because my _teacher_ is slacking!"

"Doesn't matter!" Kate said, lunging forward to snatch the keys from the ignition before either James or Nate could stop her. "He's done and now it's _my turn_."

"I hope your family isn't going to miss you too much," Nate teased Billy then leaned over so he could kiss Kate's cheek. "Just remember, gorgeous - this is off road. If you hit something at sixty, we're all gonna die."

"Well … not all of us," James said dryly as he looked back at back at Nate with a smirk to find Nate quickly buckling his seat belt and making a show out of bracing himself against the roll bars.

"True. Katie, my gorgeous sweetheart - we're not going to need the roll cage, are we?" Nate asked. "Because TK bubble or not, I don't want to take the risk on an empty stomach."

Kate rolled her eyes - and then threw mud when she hit the gas. There was no jackrabbiting. No stalling, and most importantly to James - no grinding.

"Kate gets to pick the radio station," James sang out - to Kate and Billy's entertainment and Nate's groan.

"So much for Summers-favoritism," Billy snickered.

"You know, he's a Summers too, right?" Nate said with a little frown.

"Not _entirely_ ," Kate said before Billy could reply in any way. "Raised by a Summers. Like … like raised by wolves but with better manners."

"Careful how you talk about the wolves," James teased.

"Like you have room to talk," Nate shot back, rolling his eyes as Kate cackled and they took a corner at speed, jostling Nate into Billy and getting James to swear outright as he held on to stay in the Jeep, seeing as the doors were off and he hadn't re-buckled yet. "She's just … like this," he told Billy quietly.

"I love it," Billy admitted, grinning, even as they tried to get situated better in spite of Kate's gleeful laughs as they ran the trails and hit smaller mud holes. "We don't get to do anything even close to this on Genosha."

"Yeah … so … was this your idea to come here or was that purely a parent's choice?" Nate asked, already reaching out to touch Billy's mind since Magneto had been so clearly hostile toward James and Scott, even if he'd been reasonable with Nate. Not that it was a surprise, he just really hated when someone treated his brother differently, and he _despised_ it when someone was awful to his dad.

"Mom's idea actually," Billy said. "But we were happy to go along with it. She wanted us to try out life as a 'normal' mutant? And, if I'm being totally honest, we both had a bad experience or two with people trying to use us? So … we needed to get away from that."

Nate couldn't help but see the faces that Billy was unconsciously projecting - and the hurt that went along with them. There was a lot of raw anger directed at a young lady, though not a whisper of emotion for her otherwise, and then a pair of young men that brought forward an echo not only of anger, but of honest _hurt_. "That's … well I hope you don't have any trouble like that here," Nate said finally, though a moment later, Kate swerved to drive James' side of the Jeep into a low hanging branch, just to smack him - and Nate barely got the TK shield up in time to save Billy from getting smacked too - as James swore up a storm while picking leaves out of his hair.

Which was about when Nate _also_ caught the fact that Billy was openly watching James and smiling to himself all the while. He stopped himself from doing a double-take, since that wasn't something Nate was used to catching. But … considering that this was just day _one_ for Billy, he didn't see the harm in letting the guy have his crush unbothered.

Kate was having a _blast_ all the way up until she hit a deeper-than-she-thought mud hole and an echoing very metallic _clunk_ echoed the trees even as they went out the other side of the mud, followed by a wicked grinding sound just below her.

"Well. At least we're on dry-ish ground," James said, gesturing for Kate to try and get them further from the mess. It was clear from the moment the noise echoed that Kate felt bad, and just as quickly, James wanted to make sure she was okay. "Katie, it's fine. These things break. It's like 80% of what they do. You know that, Hawkeye. You've helped supervise me fixing it often enough. So let's see what happened before you freak out, m'kay?"

When they got to a flatter area, the sound under the Jeep was clearly something that was metallic and unhealthy and getting more loud and grinding as they limped forward. Kate stopped and turned it off as James jumped out to take a look at what went wrong. He'd barely gotten underneath it when Nate hopped out to see if he could do anything to help and the other two were quick to follow- and get front row seats to watch the brothers at work half covered in mud.

"How does it look, doc?" Kate called out, going for cheerful, even if she looked like she would have rather been anywhere else in that moment.

"I ... can fix it enough to get us back," James said. "And get it home, too."

"Do we have the tools?" Nate asked.

"Well … if we _don't_ I'm pretty sure I know a telekinetic that likes to show off for his girlfriend," James said from under the Jeep. "But yeah… the wrenches are behind the back seat. That should be enough to do it."

Nate volunteered to hand James the tools as he tried unsuccessfully to avoid the mud and dirty water falling off the bottom of the Jeep as he worked. It only took a few minutes before something under the Jeep lurched and James started chuckling to himself, with Nate right along with him - though Nate looked like he wasn't too sure of his brother's particular choice in a quick fix.

"What are you doing with that?" Nate asked. "I thought that was kind of important to you know … move."

"Temporary removal," James said. "We only need one driveshaft and this is the one that broke… _so_ … I'll drive on the way back. We'll have to avoid the water though. If the front driveshaft breaks, we will actually be screwed."

"We can always ask my big, strong boyfriend to float us over the water bits," Kate teased, fluttering her eyelashes dramatically at Nate.

"If he comes back with a nosebleed that doesn't come from a broken nose, you won't get to steal him away after football games for a solid month. He already got in trouble for that kind of thing this week," James said, then paused and turned to Nate. "I could just _hit_ you though. That would solve it."

"Why would a nosebleed be such a big deal?" Billy asked, genuinely lost. "I got them a few times overdoing my powers. No biggie."

"Same thing when he over does _his_ powers too," James said as he handed the drive shaft to Nate - it was obviously broken at one of the joints and covered in mud - as was James. "It gives Dad fits when he takes the powers too far. Something his mom did, I guess. So Dad gets nervous." When he stood up, he was dirty, greasy, and wet - and couldn't even begin to wipe the mud off, though he did offer Kate a hug as Nate dropped the driveshaft behind the backseat. "Come on, Kate … you know you want to."

"Ah, no, I've already got the superior brother, thanks," Kate teased without missing a beat.

"You're just afraid to get your cheerleading frock dirty," James said before he took the keys from her. "Backseat, Jeep wrecker."

"I really am sorry-"

"I'm really _not_ upset," James promised, one hand over his heart. "I'm just giving you a hard time, Katie, but if you feel _that_ bad, I'll just have to hug you until you get over it."

Kate pulled a face. "Okay, I'm over it," she said, holding up both hands between herself and James.

"See? That wasn't so hard," he said, stepping around her to climb in the driver's seat. "Nothing else changes, though. You pick the radio."

Kate positively _beamed_ at him as she started to climb in the back. "Awww, you're my second-favorite Summers boy."

"Happy to take third place," James said, shaking his head at her. "You might want to be careful of what you and Nate get up to on the way back … mud is pretty incriminating."

Kate simply drew a halo over her head, but since Nate had climbed in the backseat alongside her and was already draping his arm around her shoulders, that was pretty much a lost cause.

The drive back was a lot less eventful than the drive out had been. As it turned out, the kids _did_ know how to avoid every mudhole and mess on the way back, though every now and again, James or Nate would share a look in the mirror and have what looked like a silent conversation. And once, James even quickly took a different trail with a muttered out 'nope' that had Nate snickering to himself, knowing that James had scented out Mia and Tommy getting a little too cozy in the woods alone.

When they got up to the house, Ororo and Scott were waiting, and though Scott didn't look like he was overly thrilled with the muddy Jeep - Ororo was trying hard to keep from grinning outright.

"Hey, Dad, I'm learning stick," Nate called out before Scott could say anything.

"We _only_ broke a CV joint, too," James said.

"My bad," Kate sang out, not about to let Nate or James take the fall for it.

"It was ready to break anyhow," James said with a wave. "Just waiting for the parts to come in."

"Was Mia with you four then?" Ororo asked. The four of them hedged and James and Nate shared a look before James was the one to answer.

"She's by the far side of the lake," James said. "Taking the more dry trail. Don't worry."

"She'll learn stick shift when she's older," Nate said, smirking at James.

"She'd probably do better than you _right now_ ," James said.

"Obviously," Kate said with a sniff. "Girls rule; boys drool."

"Guess you _don't_ want to drive it again," James told her.

"It's okay, James; you can admit you drool," she shot back.

"No more than you do," he replied easily, then frowned. "But … that's a lot, isn't it? I should talk to Fuzzy and Blue if I drool like a Hawkeye."

"You're measuring by how much I drool when Nate takes his shirt off. Unfair standard," Kate teased.

James let out a sigh that showed exactly how tired he was of hearing this. "That really is confusing. What are you going to do if he ever gets a few muscles? We'll need to keep a defibrillator on hand."

Nate looked supremely insulted, but Billy burst into giggles. "He's not wrong," Billy said half under his breath as Nate pushed James back telekinetically, which had James laughing outright. "Comparatively, I mean, come on. _James_."

"You have your taste; I have mine," Kate shot back, though she was grinning at Billy in a completely troublemaking way as James and Nate got caught up in a silent telepathic conversation -both of them having missed Billy's comment entirely while they acted like … well, brothers.

"Hi Dad," Nate said, refusing to look at either Kate or Billy for how they were giggling. "Nothing to worry about. Nope. Not at all."

"Why don't you guys do what you can to clean up before we head home," Scott suggested as he made his way over to take a look at the broken driveshaft sticking out from behind the back seat. "I'm pretty sure Clint and Natasha won't be happy if you bring the VW back full of mud."

"Pretty sure that'd be just your typical occurrence after any given Friday night," James said under his breath.

 _Only when it rains_ , Nate projected to James, smirking.

_See, now you need luchador masks. To have the cover story of mud wrestling for all the questionable hand prints._

_Thanks, James._

_You're welcome. So very welcome. Advertencia Ojo de Halcón._

_Speak for yourself,_ Nate said. _I_ like _the trouble she gets into._

 _I'm just teasing,_ James replied. _I know you're utterly smitten with everything she does. And though I'll smother you if you repeat it, the two of you are kind of cute. In a very weird … corndog carnie way._

Nate couldn't help but smile. _Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me._

_If she can't take me picking at her, then just tell me and I'll back off. But usually that's when she gets to be more fun. And that's where her more wild ideas come from._

_She's too competitive to know when to stop._

_Pot, kettle, little brother. And you love it._ James hopped out of the Jeep to let the other two out of the back without having to climb over the mud, but as they were getting out, he made his way over to Ororo to kiss her cheek. "See? Not everyone is afraid of some mud, Kate." He grinned Kate's way and leaned in to whisper something to Ororo that the others couldn't hear.

"She's a weather goddess who can wash it off with a snap of her fingers," Kate pointed out.

There was a soft, echoing crack of thunder that sounded as if it was miles away, and a moment later, there was the tiniest of rain clouds just over Nate and Kate's heads that let loose as soon as they realized what Ororo was up to. Not that James got away clean from that, either. As soon as he had taken a few steps from Ororo, she hit him too … just on principle, though he didn't seem bothered by it as he tipped his face up toward the little cloud.

Scott smirked Ororo's way. "That never gets old."

"It really doesn't," Ororo agreed with a growing smile before she turned to Billy. "Your mother told me what you've learned. Be so kind as to bring your brother and Mia here, please." She paused just long enough to be sure Billy was focused on her properly. "Discreetly."

"Yeah, that's…" Billy bit back what he wanted to say and instead focused on sending _himself_ to where Mia and Tommy were. At least that way, he could warn them.

"Brave," James said to Nate under his breath.

"Like our Mia could like anyone who didn't have a heroic streak - or at least a heroic brother," Nate muttered right back, smirking hard.

 _You know the two of you aren't fooling anyone, right?_ Scott projected to Nate, cutting into the brothers' back and forth. _You're both in trouble - and covering for trouble, too._

 _What did we do_ wrong _?_ Nate asked, looking perfectly surprised.

Scott simply gave Nate a dry look in response. He didn't say anything except to keep one eyebrow raised until Nate threw up his hands and turned to James. "Dad says we're grounded."

"Okay," James said, nodding. "That tracks."

Just then, Billy reappeared with Tommy and Mia in tow. Both Tommy and Mia looked slightly muddier than "taking the dry path" would have left them… but it was mostly on their legs and shoes. Not that it was going to stop Ororo from giving James a look.

"I did say _more dry_ and not totally dry," James pointed out, holding both hands up at chest level. "Everything's a mess out there."

"And Mia _did_ dare me to see if I could catch up to Billy and the others without disrupting the Jeep fling. Which I could," Tommy said, grinning crookedly at Mia, who couldn't take her eyes off him.

"Crossed our path about four times on the way back in," James confirmed.

Mia grinned and then finally looked over at her mom, who looked as though she had been bowled over. "Hi, Mom. What's wrong?"

Ororo took a moment to respond after that, though, which only had Mia on edge by the time she finally spoke. "You should go inside and clean up. We're not far off from dinner time and I'm sure you can help Warren in the kitchen."

"Okay," Mia said, seizing on something she could do that wouldn't get her in trouble when her mom was wearing _that_ expression. A moment later, she'd teleported off, leaving a grinning Tommy behind - with Billy shaking his head at his brother.

Kate put a hand on Billy's shoulder. "Welcome to the family," she muttered. "It's like this all the time. I'd say you get used to it eventually, but you don't. You just learn to have fun with it."

"Kate, Nate will head home with us," Scott said as he held his hand out for the keys. James barely looked up at him before handing them over without comment. "I'm sure you can catch up later on what the restrictions are _this time_."

"This time?" Billy whispered to Kate, who grinned in the same troublemaking manner she had when she realized Billy had been complimenting James' looks.

"Yep. This time. Next time, when Nate's out of the doghouse, _you_ can drive."

"Right," Nate said, nodding along. "So. I'll call later."

"You'd better!" Kate sang back, blowing him a kiss - just to grin at the look of _longsuffering_ on Scott's face before she turned to Billy. "It's too much fun to get the adults riled up, isn't it?"

"It's not the same as what we did back _home_ , but … it is our first day."

Kate grinned even wider. "Oh, I knew I was going to like you," she said, threading her arm through Billy's.

"So … are _we_ in trouble too? Because I'm pretty sure even Mom would say that's some kind of land speed record." He tipped his head toward Tommy, who caught up to them in a blink. "Even for him."

"I claim diplomatic immunity!" Tommy sang out with his hands on either side of his mouth.

"You so can't," Kate said, laughing.

"Just did." Tommy replied with a grin. "So what did I miss? Couldn't have been much. You had a whole bunch of uptight Summers just now."

"Oh, they're always like that," Kate said, waving, though she was grinning at Billy. "Even James. But he's fun when he wants to be."

"I don't know," Tommy said. "He _did_ scare the business out of our Grandfather earlier. You missed the show."

Kate waggled both eyebrows at Billy. "Oh, is _that_ why you have a crush on our James?"

"That's not the _only_ reason, but I'm sure it helps it along," Tommy said, grinning wider at his brother as he bumped his shoulder. "He knows _everything_ about every hero … ever. So I think most of them that are kids from the old teams are higher up on the list anyhow."

"Cape chaser," Kate teased.

"Excuse you, capes run in _our_ family," Billy shot back.

"Yeah, why would he chase a cape? Hides everything from the back side that way," Tommy cackled.

Kate looked even more delighted somehow. "Okay, yes, you two _have_ to stay," she said, clapping her hands before she turned to Billy. "And you know what? Just because you're adorable and fun and I like having you around, I'll put some feelers out. James has only dated girls before, but he might be interested in someone so _fun_." She held up a hand. "I can't promise anything, but I can do a little investigating."

"You don't need to," Billy said, holding up one hand.

"I know. That's what makes me so awesome," Kate said. "Don't worry. Despite appearances, I _can_ be sneaky if I want to. Mom's the Black Widow, you know."

"Which .. is really really cool," Billy said, trying to find a way to change the subject. "So does that mean you get to go up to Avengers Tower sometimes?"

"Um, I practically live there," Kate said, drawing herself up and grinning. "You so have to come see me. We can go get coffee and people watch. Oooh! You _have_ to meet my best friend."

"I'd _love_ that," Billy agreed with a wide grin. "I just need to know what the rules are. Mom said there would be a lot of them about using my powers … and I don't want to start a war my first week."

"Second or third, maybe," Tommy said, shaking his hand at the level.

Kate laughed and then turned to Billy more seriously. "Yeah, it kind of drives Nate nuts. You can't let anyone know you're a mutants, so _no_ powers unless you're in the tower or the school, alright?"

"Then I'll need a ride," Billy said slowly. "Maybe I _do_ need to learn how to drive…"

Tommy stuck his head over his brother's shoulder. "What he wants to know is where does the Summers family live?"

Kate grinned at Tommy again but then shook her head. "Sorry, that's actually _super_ classified. I only know because my mom helped Scott set up the security _and_ I'm dating a Summers. But I was sworn to secrecy by my mom, my boyfriend's dad, my boyfriend, _and_ my dad, so you have to earn your way into the house on your own."

"He could just _wish_ his way in," Tommy said with a grin.

Kate shook her head seriously. "That's an easy way to make sure Scott never wants you anywhere _near_ James let alone have a chance to date him," she said. "He's terrified of losing his family, so he's paranoid to a degree that _so_ isn't healthy, but it's also kept them all alive, so…" She shrugged. "You gotta earn the trust first."

The twins shared a look before they both flanked her, taking up an arm each. "You're going to need to elaborate more for us," Billy said. "Because this kind of thing is just … weird. And we don't know what unhealthy paranoia looks like."

"And we want the juicy stories," Tommy said. "And everything you can tell us that's not going to like … set off some kind of curse."

Kate raised both eyebrows - and then quickly took their arms in even tighter holds. "Buckle up, boys," she declared. "We're going to need popcorn."


	33. Detective Katie Barton - Matchmaker

As it turned out, the punishment this time was on par with what the punishment had been the last _several_ times the boys had gotten carried away with having a little too much fun. Home and school for Nate; home and work for James. But that was only because Tony had told Scott that he had James working on a special project. Had it not been for that, he'd have been _home_. Something about being a bad influence on _Magneto_ 's grandkids and how much hellfire that could rain down on everyone.

He understood it, honestly, he did. But it had always been _more_ okay to let loose at the institute and now? With the lingering concern that having too much fun with the twins could cause Ororo- and everyone else - trouble, James was just glad he had something to _do_ at the lab.

It really wasn't even that pressing, but when asked if James was working on anything important, Tony had picked up on the tone Scott was using and stepped up to cover. Which was how, while Nate was likely drooling through Algebra class waiting for lunch, James found himself combing through code.

"I guess you did something wrong by being a kid," Tony said as he handed James the flashdrive. "So … how about you try to look guilty while you sift through my code. That sounds like it's some kind of punishment."

James sighed heavily and turned toward his laptop to get started. "Anything in particular that I'm looking for - or will I just be mentally scarred when I find it?"

Tony shook his head at him. "I know everyone keeps saying otherwise, but .. you really are _so much_ like your mother sometimes." He watched as James stared at him with a perfectly open expression. "I'm absolutely sure she started a fight with Magneto the first time they met, too."

"I didn't start it. I was just going to finish it."

"See? Tiny K right there," Tony said with a proud smile before he clapped James on the shoulder and then headed off. "Have fun with the code. When you get done with it, I'll be in the garage."

And though Tony didn't know it, that was exactly the kind of thing James _needed_ to hear after a full afternoon of almost everyone telling him he was just like his father. He smiled to himself as he stared at the flashdrive, then blew out all his breath and settled in to get to work.

* * *

Nate, meanwhile, was bored out of his mind. There was no practice after school since the team was taking a rare day off during the season because they'd been pushing so hard - and winning. His coach didn't want them to get overstressed and hurt themselves if it wasn't during a game, after all.

Which made it all the more unbearable that he was _grounded_. He could have had a normal-ish date night. _Alone_. With Kate. But no-o-o-o. He had to go straight home where there was supervision and pointed silent glares from his father if he happened to accidentally have too much fun while he was grounded. Nate was pretty sure the terms of _how_ he got grounded were just an excuse anyhow .

As far as he could tell, the twins didn't even _like_ their grandfather - and clearly, their parents thought sending them halfway across he world to Westchester was smarter than keeping them near stupid Grandpa. Besides. James and Nate getting caught would hinge on one of the twins _telling_ their grandfather that they'd gotten in trouble. Which, from what he'd gleaned from their thoughts that _hadn't_ centered around who the twin boys thought were cute, simply wasn't gonna happen. So this whole grounding thing was a prime example of Nate and James' father overreacting. Again.

"Come _on_ ," Kate said as she slid over next to him at lunch. Halfway through the day and he was still moping. "You need to lighten up. Your whole _family_ needs to lighten up."

But that was enough to get Nate to defend his dad. "He's just trying to protect us - and I see what he was worried about. Even if he was a little overzealous. James is grounded too."

"Yeah. In the tower. With Tony supervising him. _Soooo_ grounded." Kate rolled her eyes. "All that really means is that you don't get to go with me _back to Westchester_." She tipped her chin up and smiled at him.

"You're not going to hang out with the white-haired one, are you? He's trouble."

"Nope," Kate said as she sent off yet another text. "I'm going to hang out with his twin brother - who is truly hilarious, by the way. He needs advice."

Nate stopped and tipped his head as he watched her. "You're not serious, are you? They're _both_ probably trouble. And … do you really think my brother is going to be interested in a guy? After the string of girls that he's been going out with? He's got some pretty good taste in _girls,_ Kate. Sure, most of them are questionable with their family history, but … they are definitely girls."

"Don't know until we ask. Gently. _Indirectly_." Kate fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Or you could cheat and peek. I mean, I know he's harder for you to read than other people when he wants to be, but this isn't state secrets. This is the simple matter of whether he'd go for the cute Magneto-grandson."

"Um … I'd need Rachel to help if you want to be _sneaky_ about it. But I don't _like_ doing stuff like that to family. You could just _ask_ him. Of course … the fact that he's the grandson of _Magneto_ might be enough to set off his trouble magnet. Still … no. Even for the good teasing, I'm not going to help someone with _that much_ potential power chase after my idiot brother."

"Yeah, but you should see how _nervous_ Billy is about this, and I don't want to put him off his first crush away from the island," Kate said, her eyes wide. "He's not used to having to ask - he doesn't know _how_!"

"Kate. Between someone I just met and my brother, I'm going to pick protecting my brother every time. Besides … they came here to learn how to be normal. Might do him some good to get shot down. I don't even know how James would _handle_ that. I don't think he's ever been hit on by a guy."

"Na-a-a-a-ate." Kate leaned over to kiss his cheek. "Come on. What if they work well together? You can't protect him from _that_?"

"And I wouldn't want to protect him from someone that was good for him," Nate said as he took Kate's hand. "What if James gets ticked off at me for this? Then what? We're getting along well right now! What if the evil in Billy's family skips a generation and this is just another example of my brother drawing in another dangerous mutant - like he's some kind of catnip for evil or something."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Stop that. Billy isn't evil."

"Fine. But I have a hard enough time getting James to consider suggestions on where to stop for drive-through or if he's even going to _try_ to be on a team. Besides, do you want to ask your sister something like this out of the blue?"

"Lexi already told me she likes boys _and_ girls. She informed me. Because Mom sat us down for the explanation when we were, like, _eight_."

"Because you guys talk all the time, but you know, this is not 'the talk'," Nate said. "We _got_ the full talk. I just don't know if James has ever shown an interest _at all_ in a guy - and maybe it's easier for girls to consider going both ways, but it's not so simple for guys, okay?"

"No, this is just a quick little peek to see if it's even a _remote possibility_. Come on; I'm not asking for much! Just tell me if Billy has a chance, and I'll make him do the rest, pinkie swear!"

"Why don't _you_ ask him?" Nate said.

"Because I'm not a telepath," Kate pointed out.

"No, but you do like to _talk about everything._ " He projected the last half as well as said it for added emphasis.

"Yeah, but if _I_ ask, it feels like a setup, but if you _peek_ , then it's just exploratory committees of Summerses."

"It's still a set up!" Nate laughed. "Brothers don't _talk_ about that."

Kate grinned and fluttered her eyelashes again. "Aww, big strong boys scared of talking about _feeeeeeeelings_."

Nate did his best to school his expression. "Yes. Yes we are. We're not empaths."

"Poor scared Nate," Kate said, still grinning maliciously.

"Poor scared _Kate_ ," Nate shot back. "Scared of big bad James. Since … forever probably."

Kate rolled her eyes and then simply whipped out her phone and texted James:

_Hey, having an argument with your emotionally-stunted brother. APPARENTLY you guys don't have the talk as in-depth as WE do, and he seems all kerfluffled about the whole subject._

James was quick to reply, too. _I don't know what you're talking about. He seems perfectly normal to me._

 _Well, you probably had the same 'talk.'_ Kate grinned. _ANYWAY, point is, apparently he didn't even know I already knew Lexi swings both ways (and as you know, so do I, thank you very much), so I'm polling: what about you? Boys, girls, or both? And will your answer surprise your idiot brother?_

It took a minute or two for James to reply. _I'm not going along with a set up no matter who it is. I've still got Izzy pestering me every chance she gets and that started just to keep her off your back._

_I'm not taking responsibility for that and anyways, that was NOT the question, James. At this point in this argument, I'm genuinely curious how you boys FUNCTION._

_The only time someone asks something like that is when they want to set you up. Get a hobby, Kate. And maybe read a biology book or two before you find out the hard way how us boys function. The answer, by the way is 'on autopilot and often.'_

_Oh, come on. You're just as emotional as he is._

_Oh. Far more, I'm sure._

_Probably._

_I'm getting emotional just talking about this. I can't take it._

_Poor lamb. He has the same weakness. It's okay. I'll just wait for you to go doe-eyed over some boy or girl and there's my answer._

_Yeah, okay. You do that. Love you, Kate. (But not like that. I'm not going to poach my baby brother's girl.)_

_I'd hope not. Your brother and I are practicing birds and bees._

_I'd have to throw myself off the tower if I had Hawkward thoughts like that about you._

_Dramatic. Do you need a cape now or does that only happen when you reach EXTRA levels of drama?_

For the first time since the beginning of their rapid fire texts, there was a real pause. _Wait. I get options? No one told me there were options. Is that why you were pushing the designs at me so hard? You think I need a cape- even though I can't fly? Wow. That's a terrible costume choice._

_Well, there is a scale. For example, Tommy is EXTRA dramatic but no cape… Billy is hilarious and dramatic but has a cape… Magneto is EXTRA dramatic and has a cape…_

_This scale seems off. Tony is also extra dramatic and has no cape. And Cap only has one when he wraps himself in a flag and poses dramatically with a bald eagle screeching overhead. Otherwise I think it's more tied to the 'look' that fliers go for. I'd need a secondary mutation for that to work._

_I bet Tony would have a cape if the armor would let him…._

_You should poll him too. Betcha he'll turn about fourteen different shades before he answers. You know. Because you're one of the kids. But he could have a retractable cape. He might, actually. Has everything else shoved in that armor._

_Don't think I won't. And I'm asking Rachel too._

_I already know the answer there. For Tony and Rachel. And I think you do too._

_Yeah, but I like to hear things out loud sometimes. And I mostly asked you because you're INSCRUTABLE, James._

_Probably because this is a text._

_I know. But still. Inscrutable. Sometimes, I gotta just ask._

_You did ask. And I thank you for thinking of me in your not at all scientific polling to set me up. But it's not a question I'm answering - so you can set me up._

_Well, James, love you and all, but you have not helped me win against your brother, and this is sad._

_Yeah, that probably won't ever happen._

_Oh, don't do that. His head is already the size of Jupiter._

_He got that from Dad. Oops._

_So what's your excuse?_

_I have been reliably informed that both of my parents were the biggest hard heads ever. So. There probably. Reinforced by Dad. It's okay. Everyone is disappointed._

_Bless your sweet little soul,_ Kate teased. _It's okay. I still like you. (Just not like that.)_

_Get back to your classes. Just because you're utterly smitten with my brother doesn't mean you should fail just to graduate with him._

_You've got such faith in my multi-tasking abilities,_ Kate teased. _Bye now! Off to flirt!_

"So. How'd _that_ go?" Nate asked smugly, arms crossed and already well aware of how it had gone.

Kate rolled her eyes at him and kicked him under the seats. "Shut up. I'm texting Billy now. If you boys can't just give me an answer, I'll make the Maximoff take the risk whether he likes it or not. They'd be too cute to pass it up, and if James says no, I've got my answer and I'll help Billy find someone cute to make up for it."

"Don't act like that wasn't what you wanted from the beginning anyhow," Nate laughed.

"Hey, I promised Billy I'd look into it, and I keep my promises!" Kate said, one hand over her heart. "Fully!"

Nate raised one eyebrow in an expression just like his father before he started projecting the musical version of the Matchmaker song into her head, only accenting certain lines with his own mental voice adding to it.

"Aww, and I thought you wanted more kisses," Kate said in a sigh.

"Awwww, I thought you could multitask."

"Not with your _terrible_ singing in my head," Kate shot back without missing a beat. "It's _so_ distracting. How do you sound like a cheese grater even mentally?"

"Would you prefer the actual Broadway version? Because I can do that too if I think about it."

"Or," Kate said, rolling her eyes before she stole a kiss, "you could do neither of those things and skip history with me. Seeing as you're trying to fail it anyway."

"I am. But I am also grounded, so I don't know what I'd skip it for if you already said there would be no kissing and only picking at me," Nate said off-handedly.

"I denied kisses for the mental singing. Cut that out and there _is_ something fun to skip for," Kate said, fluttering her eyelashes.

"Oh. well. That's a totally different story," Nate agreed with a crooked smile.

* * *

America had taken to hanging out at the tower pretending she wasn't entertained by the fact that the adults were starting to ask her when she was going to join the Avengers. She was Kate's best friend and knew there was a _different_ team to look forward to, and she was waiting for that one to coalesce before she'd join a team. She wanted to join the team that would draw down the worst trouble - because she was actually attached to those idiots and figured they could use some backup.

But in the meantime, there were people to play with. Lexi had tried to flirt with her a couple times, but she wasn't touching that with a ten-foot pole, not when she was a) Kate's little sister and b) a little too young to have _fun_.

But the _real_ reason she was at Avengers tower as often as she was? She'd been in trouble a few times, enough that Officer Wright had issued her a serious warning. And she was maybe supposed to be keeping her head down after she might have maybe kicked a guy's balls into orbit when he tried to put his hands on her. Maybe.

And seeing as the Avengers knew that America didn't _do_ subtlety, she was supposed to stay there. And play it safe.

So, naturally, as soon as Kate came by with a _visitor,_ wearing a look that America recognized from when they were dating that usually meant plenty of fun, America was on board before she even saw who the visitor was.

And then, America saw a face that she recognized - only much younger than the version she worshipped. He didn't look like she'd imagined he would; he was wide-eyed and innocent and slightly… off. Her powers allowed her to cross dimensions, so she could sense the right Billy, and this? This wasn't quite it. She must have been off in her estimation of which reality she should have stopped at.

For a long moment, America felt her heart drop. The whole _point_ of her dimension hopping had been to find the Demiurge…. This was _one_ , yes, but not _the_ one who had created _her_ universe. And she didn't know what to do with that information.

But… looking at Kate's wide smile, she decided not to bring it up. Ever. No one else had known why she'd come to this dimension, so no one needed to know she'd gotten it wrong. She _liked_ this reality. And the eye candy. And hey, if she truly _hated_ it, she could find a different one when she was older - after she made sure her idiot friends all survived their X-Men debut.

The moment lasted only a few seconds, so she was sure Kate and Billy Kaplan hadn't noticed it, so she grinned and waved them into the living room. "Didn't know you were giving a tour. Hey, _chico_. Welcome to the non-ivory tower."

Billy raised his eyebrows at her wording and leaned over to Kate. "You been snitching on me already?"

"Um, no?" Kate said, one eyebrow raised.

America smirked. "Family resemblance," she explained easily. "Welcome to the rest of the world, Cape Wearer."

Billy glanced over his shoulder just to double-check that he wasn't wearing a cape - he had specifically dressed in jeans and a tee shirt so he'd blend in - and then rolled his eyes when he heard America laugh. "Oh, come on."

America smirked. "I'm America Chavez, by the way. Since Kate's slow with the introductions."

Kate rolled her eyes as Billy stepped forward. "Billy Maximoff."

America nodded to herself. _Maximoff, not Kaplan. That's probably the difference I'm missing,_ she thought before she smiled. "Well, come have a look. The view will blow your mind, and then I'm sure Kate has the rest of the tour planned out." As she said it, she met Kate's gaze and raised both eyebrows, and Kate broke into a troublemaking giggle once Billy ran to the windows that, _gods_ , made her wish she wasn't the bigger person and had kept her for herself instead of letting her run to Nate. She loved that troublemaking giggle.

The funny part was that she was mostly past things with Kate; it was just the little things like that which made her sure she had to find someone with as much of a flair for trouble. Someone fiery.

But that wasn't the most important thing at the moment. The most important thing was that Kate was ready for trouble, and America put her arm around Kate's shoulders to pull her aside so they could quickly talk about Kate's plans. And once she heard Kate's theory about James and Billy being the _cutest_ … well, how could she resist? Could be fun.

So once they'd decided that America would distract Tony from trying to prank or play with James by feigning interest in the Avengers so Kate could take Billy to James' workshop for the "tour," America had to step up the teasing. She liked James, after all, and since this wasn't _the_ Demiurge? She was much more comfortable pushing his buttons.

"So, Cape Wearer, how evil are you? Scale of one to ten."

Billy blinked at her. "What?"

"One being Kate the Endlessly Optimistic Butterfly and ten being the Phoenix on a Bad Day."

Billy cracked a smile at her scale and then held his hands out to the sides. "Um… one?"

"Two," Kate corrected him. "You get a point just for the family nonsense."

America looked between Kate and Billy and then smirked and shrugged. "Well, I have to go talk to a Stark. Wish me luck."

"We'll see you around!" Kate said, grinning as she seized Billy's arm. "Come on, Billy. I know where to go next."

Minutes later, Kate let herself and Billy into James' lab after having explained to Billy what the story was with James and Tony and the whole internship thing. Which had surprised Billy, all things considered. But it didn't make the picture any less ridiculous after hearing how _smart_ James was to find him sitting at a bench - back to the door with his forehead resting on the table in front of the laptop and his hands on the back of his head.

"What are you _doing_?" Kate asked before she hopped up on the stool next to him.

"Coding," James replied thickly before he slowly picked up his head. "What does it look like?"

"Like you're trying to communicate with the workbench. Smashing your face into it not working, huh?" Kate teased, grinning as James gave her a dirty look.

"What do you want, Kate?" James asked. "You never come in here unless you want something, and I told you that if I come up with more trick arrows, I'd tell you about it.."

Kate didn't drop his gaze as she pointed at Billy. "He broke his cell phone." When James turned toward Billy, Kate grinned wider behind his back, urging Billy to run with it. "And I said you could fix it."

Billy hesitated for just a moment before he slid the phone to James.

"Is there a reason you didn't take it to the carrier?" James asked, though he turned to look at Kate more than Billy for that.

"More reliable this way," Kate said with her chin in her hand. "And … I _may_ have told him you could upgrade it a little."

" _May_ have," James said, shaking his head before he turned back to the bench, closed the laptop, and got up to head over to the right bench. On the way over, he cracked open the phone and set the battery aside on the bench as he sat down. He didn't say a word as he took the phone apart and began removing what _looked_ like some important components.

Within a minute or two, James was working fast, not really paying attention to what Kate or Billy were doing as he switched out a few things with some circuit boards that he had in the drawer next to him.

He pulled the magnification over as the soldering gun smoked - and with a weary sigh, James leaned forward and started making some major alterations. The moment that he caught the telltale scent of anxiety, he did what he could to ease Billy's mind. "I'm not touching any of the memory. Your contacts, apps, and pictures will be fine, even if they haven't been uploaded."

"Okay, I wasn't too worried about that," Billy admitted as he moved a little closer to watch him work.

"Sorry, you just … smelled anxious," James said distractedly. "I won't screw up anything important, but I'm taking the tracker and tying it to a pigeon."

"Wait, what tracker?" Kate asked hopping up to slip over and see what it was James was talking about.

"Don't all cell phones have trackers?" Billy asked.

"No," James said, making a few new connections. "They have GPS for maps that you can turn on and off integrated with the internet, but they don't have something exclusively to track. most of the time, to track you using the phone's capabilities, it's being done through triangulation with cell towers and by request. This is not that. This is an honest-to-God, spy-quality tracker." He set the soldering gun down and pulled over the tiny mass in question. "It's _not_ standard equipment on _any_ cell phone. Someone put this in after it was bought."

As Billy frowned at the little device, James put the phone back together. "Do you need the battery yet?" Kate asked, holding the little silver square.

"Toss it in recycling," James said as he slipped something new in place and snapped the phone back together. "Any other superfluous excuses you two have to come up here?" He watched both of them as he handed the phone back to Billy and watched the look on his face as he powered it up - shocked already at the difference.

"Yes," Kate said, bouncing to her feet. "Billy wanted to see the tower and your lab - and try to talk you into teaching him to drive, so … _have fun_!" She rushed out, leaving the two of them behind as Billy stared at her open-mouthed at the full betrayal.

The door closed behind her with a sound of finality, and it took a full thirty seconds before Billy finally turned back around to see James watching him with an open expression. "Alright. What's going on?" James asked. "Kate can be _somewhat_ sneaky, and cleary, she wasn't even trying, so come on. Spill."

"It … was just ... " Billy held up the phone and gestured to the room at large.

"Yeah, I knew she was lying from the minute it came out of her mouth," James said, then leaned forward. "And _she_ knew that I knew. There was nothing wrong with that phone." When Billy looked like he'd been thrown under the bus, James explained by tapping the side of his nose. "Lies stink. Even little ones. Didn't she tell you that?"

"She did _not_." Billy ran a hand through his hair but honestly didn't know James well enough to give it a shot yet. "She's not lying about the driving thing, though. I think I'll need to get a license to get around." He smiled sheepishly. "We didn't realize how restrictive travel would be here."

James raised an eyebrow at that, but Billy really wasn't lying. Now. "I know I don't look it, but I'm only sixteen. I'm hardly an expert."

"But that just means the test is still fresh in your mind, right?" Billy did his best to keep his nerve up. He _also_ wasn't used to needing to go so slow if he was interested in someone, but there was zero response from the teenagers here when it came to the royal mutant family - as they were called home on Genosha. "And I had fun when Kate broke your car."

James finally smiled a little and nodded. "I'll talk to my dad and see how long he plans on keeping me grounded, little prince. No promises on how long that might be."

Billy frowned slightly at that. "I guess I don't understand what the charges were to get you in trouble."

"Honestly?" James asked, and when Billy nodded, he gestured to himself. "Being a bad influence. Covering for Mia when I didn't realize how _interested_ she is in your brother - I'm gonna have to threaten him, by the way. On principle." Billy grinned at that. "And I guess the fact that I was ready to take on the old man is bad for mutant safety on a worldwide level. So … I kind of stepped in it."

"Isn't the same true of threatening the lesser prince?" Billy teased, relaxing a little as they started to talk.

"If Magneto is so out of touch that he can't understand why protecting Storm's daughter is a priority, then I guess I'll have to explain it to him."

"You're not afraid of him at all?"

"Not even a little." James smirked crookedly. "But, yeah. If you want help learning how to drive, I'll help you. Just not in secret."

"I didn't mean to make it sound like I wanted to keep it a secret," Billy said. "My parents told me to have fun and make friends. Just … please ignore what Grandfather was saying and doing. He's like that with everyone. Besides, I had a blast on those trails."

James smirk widened, though he managed to get control of it quickly enough. "Alright. We'll figure it out." He thought about it for a long moment. "But not this week. Week one is forbidden to even _try_ and get out of trouble. Dad needs a cool-off period."

"What about next Friday when you're out of work?"

James held his gaze, but shook his head. "I can't. Nate has a football game, and he really does get all puffed up when the family goes to cheer him on. Unless … you wanted to go watch the game with us. That might even count as outreach."

"If I have Kate pick me up, you won't have to ask," Billy pointed out, but that had James shaking his head.

"Two things. One: I'm very sure that I understand the hard work you had to do to get around your Grandfather, but … a word of advice. Try not to go around the adults. It just makes things harder and causes more trouble," James said. "And two: Kate is a cheerleader, so she won't be around to give you a ride. But … yeah. If you can get a ride to the game, or if I can get the Jeep together to get you, you _should_ come to the game. I'll still talk to my dad about driving lessons. He'll probably want to make sure I'm not showing you how to power slide or something."

"I'm sure," Billy said, looking a little disappointed, though he decided that direct was probably wisest path. "I was _hoping_ for something more one-on-one." It took James a beat or two to realize what was up, and when he did, he blinked a couple times, and his lips parted as he tried to reply. "Unless there's no way you'd be interested. Then yeah, I still want to learn how, and supervision … sure."

"No, that's not - no," James said, shaking his head. "I wasn't expecting … you just surprised me."

"Kate said you had only dated girls, but I was _hoping_ that maybe that was a 'so far' situation," Billy said, blushing high on his cheeks as he tried to smooth things over. He broke eye contact first as James continued to watch him with a curious expression on his face. "So … maybe … nevermind."

"Gimme your phone," James said, his hand out and waiting for it, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Why?" Billy asked even as he handed it over.

James shook his head as he unlocked it and took a few moments. "Stop using Kate as an intermediary," James said as he once again gave Billy his phone back. "She doesn't know half of what she thinks she does."

"You gave me your number," Billy said, looking surprised.

"Yeah," James replied, barely smiling, though he looked a little nervous. "That way, once I'm not grounded, you can call me, and _then_ we can talk about going out. And not just for driving lessons. That would be a terrible date."

"And in the meantime, we can text," Billy said slowly, smiling wider the more he thought about it.

"And take a little time to get to know each other. By the time I'm ungrounded, you may not _want_ to go out with me."

"Yeah, right," Billy said, waving the notion off immediately. "Even if they did treat me like royalty back home, I didn't want to ask any straight guys out. I was just …"

On seeing that Billy was clearly still nervous too, James decided to try and explain himself. "I really don't like all those _labels_ ," he said, reaching out to catch Billy's arm before he could walk away. "As far as just dating girls? My dating options are slim, and to be honest, I hadn't met a guy I was interested in until now. Not to mention, I kinda figured you were off limits after I got grounded for trying to finish that tour."

This time it was Billy's turn to look surprised when he realized what James had _said._ "Oh."

"How long is Kate going to leave you stranded?" James asked, when it was clear Billy was off his game. He took a step back and headed back to the laptop just to give him space.

"I … don't know," Billy admitted. "I - I'm not really stranded, though. I could wish myself back to the school, and she knows it, so I think she's just… leaving the exit to me."

James let out a little 'huh' but didn't comment further for a long while. "So what do you want to do about that? As much as I've spent time with Mia, instant travel _that far_ isn't really something I'm used to."

"Oh, well, then, you should try it," Billy said, extending a hand. "Five minutes? Tony won't tell if you disappear for just a _little_ bit, right?"

"Tony … is a little preoccupied," James said, hesitating only for a second before he took Billy's hand.

Billy smiled and then started to chant: _IwanttobeinthewoodsinWestchester_ over and over again until they blinked into existence in the woods near the lake, and Billy grinned. "I've got to be pretty specific with the spells, so some of them get long… but I can get around."

"Lot more useful than what I do," James said.

Billy shrugged. "Depends," he said. "I _also_ once accidentally rewrote reality so that I was an only child. Mom had _fits_ until we could figure out how to reverse it. So I'm also kind of more dangerous than you are."

James turned his way with a teasing look. "You deleted your brother? What did he _do_?"

Billy blushed. "It was stupid," he said, turning even pinker somehow.

"Always is. Still wanna know."

"It's just… he told me the guy I was going out with was only doing it because we're royalty." He sighed. "He was _right_ , and that made me even _madder_. And instead of taking it out on the guy, I… sort of… maybe… blinked Tommy out of my life." He held up both hands. "I _instantly_ regretted it. Wasn't on purpose."

James blew out a breath and fell silent for a long while as they started to walk through the trees, then decided it was wisest to share some of his own stupidity to hopefully get Billy to feel a little better about sharing something so private. "When I started to come into my powers, I tried to figure out the genetics to _stop_ it."

Billy frowned. "Why?" he asked - genuinely curious, since he hadn't grown up thinking the X-gene was anything but, well, superior.

James gestured to his face. "The closest thing I can tell you is that I didn't want to be me. Your grandfather's not the only one that takes issue with _what_ I am. My parents were hunted most of their lives because of this stupid powerset. So growing up, I always thought of it like a death sentence. Still do." He smiled tightly. "I tried to find a way to reverse it. Just delete the X-gene. I think I was eight-ish? So … There. See? Everyone does stupid things."

Billy looked like he wasn't sure what to say before he finally leaned over and bumped shoulders with James. "For the record, no matter what my grandfather thinks, I like your powerset. It gives you a kind of … fearlessness." He blushed bright red, all the way down to the tips of his ears.

"I'm going to say thank you but also respectfully disagree," James replied before gently shifting the subject. "I can't even imagine the trouble you got into for your brother, though. How are you not grounded still?"

Billy shook his head. "Mom has the same powers. She's made some _huge_ mistakes too, so she knows how hard it can be."

"Ah," James said, long and drawn out. "So she _does_ play favorites," he had to tease.

"Actually," Billy admitted quietly, "if there was a favorite? It'd be Tommy. She never really got over losing Pietro, you know. Tommy gets away with a _lot_ because of it."

"I can believe that," James agreed, then bumped Billy back. "How about we talk about something that doesn't end with pure misery for the people we love?"

Billy nodded his quick agreement. "How about… I'm about five years behind the mainland on movies. Where should I start? The school has a good collection…"

"What kind of films do you like?" James asked.

"Depends on the mood," Billy said with a shrug. "Usually action, but I'm also a romantic sap."

"What's your go-to to get out of a funk?"

"Oh, in that case, it's always something scifi," Billy said, then paused and smirked. "Usually with the bad guy in a cape getting his comeuppance. Not that Grandfather is the root of half my drama problems. Noooooo."

James couldn't help but laugh at that. "Did Kate show you the text thread from earlier?"

"Um, no, she just said she texted you and you are emotionally inscrutable and wouldn't help her win her bet with Nate."

"True enough when you only can read Nate as far as inscrutable goes," James said, then pulled out his phone to pull up the thread for him. "She's been fishing. Badly. I just had to ask, what with the cape reference."

Billy blushed as he read it through. "I… didn't want to push you if you weren't… not everyone takes it well, you know…"

"You're not pushing me," James said, still smirking crookedly at him.

"Yeah, it's just… I've had that happen, you know, where someone is straight but I'm also the prince, so then they have to examine whether it's _safe_ to say no, and… it messes with a person…"

"We're not on the island." James smiled honestly at that. "And I'm not afraid of you or your family, little prince."

"Even knowing I could poof you out of existence?" Billy asked with a teasing smile.

"Poof away."

"But I don't _want_ to, and I have to want to."

"Then why would you even bring it up?" James asked with a laugh.

"I don't know… because I wanted to be impressive?" Billy asked with one eye shut.

"That is definitely impressive. But I'm used to heavy-duty powersets around me," James said. "Bruce Banner helped tutor me when I was younger. I spent two hours the first session peppering him with Hulk questions and pestering the snot out of him. We played with Thor whenever we had to come to the tower when I was sick …which was often. All kinds of people could have snuffed us out. Being the least powerful person in the room doesn't bother me."

"Oh good," Billy said, then glanced down at his phone. "I… should probably get you back to the tower before you get in trouble, huh? If I want to see you at the football game, I mean."

"It wouldn't be unusual for me to slip away without anyone catching it. Not like I haven't learned how to evade the cameras in the building." James held up both hands. "You have to if you're going to prank Tony."

"Now it's my turn to be impressed," Billy said, smiling wider. "Alright then. Let's stay a little longer."


	34. Getting To Know You

"You totally set me up," Billy said to Kate when she and America met up with him the day after they'd gotten him into James' lab.

"Duh. That's what I said I'd do."

"You didn't say you were going to lie to someone who _apparently_ can smell that kind of thing?" Billy said, looking upset - if not for the smile he had yet to wipe off his face.

"You don't look too torn up about it."

"That's because it worked," America said over Kate's shoulder with a smug smile before she flounced off to see what Dani Cage was up to. She didn't want to listen to the head over heels nonsense anyhow. Not when she knew part of that would be the lovesick play by play on _both_ Summers boys now.

"Not the point," Billy said. "I need to know what everyone can do with their powers so I don't make a fool of myself again. _Honestly_ , Kate. I should have known that going in. That he knew when there were _lies_."

"Well … Nate's a telekinetic and a telepath - Rachel too, but I thought you knew that. You already know America can beat holes in reality, is super strong, and super cute - which is totally a superpower for her … Mia teleports and is _insanely_ flexible, and James does the whole super senses, healing, um … enhanced strength... and oooh! He grows hair like .. _freaky_ fast. That totally counts as a power, too. I shaved his head once -"

"You what?"

"Shaved his head. It's okay, he asked me to - but it _grew back_ to normal like … in _hours_. I was so disappointed." She ran her hands through her hair, remembering her frustration. "I had a whole _list_ of amazing jokes and he just … ruined it for me!"

Billy stared at her for a moment. "Okay … I don't know what to do with that. What about you? What do you do?"

Kate scrunched up her nose as she sat cross-legged next to him on the couch. "What do you mean? Aside from being awesome and the best shot in the planet? Nothing."

"But … your aim is superhuman, right?" Billy said, apprehensive for the first time as he watched her.

"Well … I mean, yeah, but that's just from hard work and being naturally amazing. I'm _not_ a mutant though, if that's what you're asking. 100% human." Kate paused and lifted one eyebrow as she shifted to face him more squarely. "Why? Is that going to be a problem?"

"I just … I've never been near a human before." Billy looked like he was weighing it out and dealing with conflicting information. "But … you've got mutants in your family, right? You're not like _most_ of them. Humans, I mean." Billy blushed. "I mean … you're dating a mutant, right? So you have to be one of the good ones."

Kate stared at him for a long moment. "If by 'good ones' you mean one of _most_ of the human population that isn't part of some evil weapons program or evil military group or evil bigoted _racist_ group of rednecks hiding behind the guise of religion … _do you see where I'm going with this?_ Then _yes_. I'm one of the good ones." She narrowed her eyes. "What about you? Are _you_ one of the good ones? Or one of the 'too good for everyone else' ones who were so extreme they gave the rest of the world an actual _reason_ to think mutants are terrorists before the X-Men got killed?"

"I … I don't … know how to answer that," Billy replied, wide-eyed.

"Kinda sucks when it gets turned around on you, huh?"

"I just… I've never…"

Kate let out a breath and tried to temper her reaction, knowing Billy and Tommy _had_ led very sheltered lives. But considering what she and Jan and Rachel and Nate were all working on, the whole notion was wearing on her nerves. "You should read Charles Xavier's works," she said, which seemed like the most reasonable thing to say.

Billy still looked shocked anyway. "I'm not sure I'm following you. Grandfather already told me about his dream and-"

"-and clearly, your education is lacking," Kate finished for him. "Because guess what, buttercup, if you actually _read_ it - and I have, thankyouverymuch - it's all about humanity and mutantkind working _together_. Peaceful coexistence. Not mutants in one place and humans in another. I mean, your island paradise is great for mutants to let loose, but it's really just a bigger version of what all the other mutants out here in the real world are doing: hiding." Kate shrugged. "My parents - my human parents - taught me ever since I was adopted that the world never realized the gift the X-Men had given them until they were gone. Mutants out in the open _with_ humans. Being separated just makes people like you scared of people like me."

Billy blinked a few times and then nodded slowly. "I… I'll find a copy in the library, I'm sure."

Kate smiled. "And in the meantime, we can still be friends, right? I like you when you're not being all 'one of the good ones' racist."

"I'm _not_ -"

"You are, but it's okay. You'll grow out of it," Kate said, smiling crookedly at him. "After all, a human set you up with a hunk, right?"

Billy gave her a weak smile in return. "I don't even know what to do with you."

"That's the title of my biography, my friend," Kate said. "Now, come on. Let's find something fun to do. Philosophy is nice and all, but it's not _fun_." With that, she didn't give Billy a choice and simply grabbed his arm to find something new to do.

* * *

On Genosha, Erik was having some trouble deciding what, exactly, to do about things surrounding what was _left_ of the X-Men. Clearly, he'd been neglecting his responsibility to stand up for mutant kind for far too long judging by the kinds of things that his grandsons were being taught as 'normal'. The very idea that his own flesh and blood was being told to hide who they were - to be _ashamed_ and bow down to humanity when they could so easily _crush_ them with little more than a thought - had Erik burning.

He hadn't worked this hard simply for them to be tossed to the side by the humans. But he'd honestly counted on this kind of reaction from the world at large. The boys needed to see what homo inferior thought of mutants firsthand for them to understand their place in the world - their _rightful_ place in the world. Ruling. Genosha was getting crowded, after all.

Using the mutant-detecting technology in Sentinels that Erik had commandeered from around the globe, his scientists had been able to scan the general public outside of Genosha. Initial predictions that the mutant birth rate would climb were all proving themselves to be true. But the scope by which they were right was off tremendously. Far _more_ mutants were being born than had been calculated by _anyone's_ reasoning.

It was just a matter of time before his grandson would be able to step in and rule. Naturally, Erik wanted to give him the world. All of it. But things were at a delicate point, worldwide. It would take precious little for the humans to spark up another genocide against their betters. He wanted William and Thomas to be _ready_ when trouble happened. And unfortunately, the only way they could be prepared for such hatred was to experience it themselves. It was the only reason he _allowed_ Wanda to continue to think that he was putting up a fight. Going along with her wishes easily would have been suspicious.

But his work with the boys hadn't been a total wash, either. _One_ of them was doing exactly as Erik had instructed and was reporting back to him as requested - and he was learning so much from those check-ins. Not just the curriculum that was being taught at Charles' old school but the interpersonal relationships between the different X-Men and Avengers - how their whole system worked out between them.

Of course, he hadn't actually been specific with young William on why he wanted to know these things. The boy was still innocent, after all, and he still held the Avengers in high esteem. Cluing him in on why Erik was paying attention to certain matters would only have left the door open for him to bring his concerns to the Avengers themselves.

The boy was a quick study in spite of his soft heart. Erik had spent years with him, molding him. _Mentoring_ him. He had high hopes, and for now - in spite of his tracking chip having gone dead in his phone - Erik would allow things to continue as they were as long as the boys continued to check in appropriately. Appearing _now_ would only look suspicious to those that would work against him. And yes, at first Erik had gotten angry on hearing that William was going against his warning about the Summers family. But the more William had to say about how the Summerses were so protective of each other, the more Erik _knew_ that, under the right circumstances, he could use their extreme situation to his advantage. The original X-Men were still inspirational to mutants around the world, even if they'd been beaten down. And Scott could be the perfect figurehead and example of what humanity was capable of.

Hearing that Wolverine's orphaned _pup_ was being so well _looked after_ by the Avengers and Tony Stark in particular though only had Erik seeing an in to find out what Stark was up to, and if William ended up spending time in Stark's tower where the Avengers were headquartered, it would be that much easier to find the best way to topple them. With or without his conscious help.

He could wait and see what the boys could find on their own. _Then_ he'd give instructions on how to move forward. It had only been a few weeks. The boys could use more time getting a lay of the land - and Erik could use that time to decide the many different directions their intel would take them.

* * *

It was kind of rare for James and Rachel to go to one of Nate's games, but seeing as they knew Nate was in the starting lineup - and it was _homecoming_ to boot - Scott had very quietly _hoped_ that James and Rachel would go to support their brother. For most parents, that would have been subtle, but seeing as both Rachel and Nate were telepaths - and quite often telepathically chatting with James when they were all home - it was almost like he was nagging. And there was _no way_ Rachel and Nate were going to let James be out of the loop if they had to listen to it.

The Summers family headed off to the football game, fully ready for the overly large crowd that would be cheering on their favorite blue-eyed quarterback - even if 'Summers' wasn't on the jersey. But Nate _Mueller_ was incredibly popular with the local crowd, too.

"You hear that wolf whistle?" asked a familiar voice as a blonde version of Mia sat down by Scott, with the Maximoff twins sitting on the other side of the group by James. "Kate's marking her territory. The girls in the squad are totally _jealous_."

"They'll get over it," Rachel said. "He's always been out of their league anyhow."

Mia grinned at that, leaning across Scott to wave at Rachel. "Do you like the look?" she asked. "I thought about going dark this time, but…"

"It's different enough and shocking enough that I think you're doing alright," Scott said. "I'm glad to see you getting out for a minute."

Mia beamed at Scott. "I know, right? I _love_ being around people. I _really_ loved being in Wakanda - it was just so .. _wow._ "

"That's because you're so much like your dad," Scott said - a compliment that never failed to get a proud grin out of Mia.

She drew herself up and let out a noise of triumph. "I know," she said happily. "But to be fair to Mom, she loves people too. She just likes _quiet_ people."

"Which you won't find a lot of here tonight," Scott said with a smirk as the student section started stomping their feet and making the bleachers shake, screaming and cheering and making noise.

"I know. That's why I brought our exchange students," Mia said, her smile growing more troublemaking. "Throw 'em in the deep end of American football."

"If it was the deep end, it'd be a ravenous college rivalry," James said, laughing to himself at the hubbub on the track around the football field. It was almost dusk, and the air was chilled enough that they could see their breath starting to hang in the air.

"You know, I really, really thought about it," Mia said. "But then _I_ wouldn't be allowed to go. Mom wouldn't let me get somewhere that… ah…" She dropped her voice. "Surrounded by metal detectors and … similar things."

"And that would be criminal," James said. "I wonder if you know anyone that could make something that would override the… nevermind." He dropped his thought as Scott gave him a _look_. "Passing thought. That's all," James defended. "Not like I have access to that crap."

"Uh-huh," Scott said, though he didn't comment on it beyond that. He knew he didn't need to give further commentary with James - and besides, he was a bit more focused on the fact that, somehow, even when Nate was on the field and Kate was on the sidelines, those two were managing to make it clear that they were more interested in each other than just about anything else. The way he was watching her had the other cheerleaders swooning and seething in jealousy all at once.

Which was frustrating enough on its own, because Scott didn't know how to slow it down, let alone stop it. He had watched Nate dance around his crush on Kate until they finally got together - just like he had with Jean - and now, he was watching Nate fall _hard_ \- just like he had with Jean. And considering how he'd felt when he was young… he didn't know that anything anyone said would have _changed_ it.

Still, at least Nate had enough sense to keep his head in the _game_ once that got started, even if Scott knew that Nate would be sure to at _least_ reach out to Kate to flirt during time outs and calls from the refs.

Just before things really got started, Tommy asked how the game worked, though with Scott distracted, he was stuck with James' synopsis before Scott could explain it right. "Buncha pimple-backed juvenile gorillas trying to get the ball to the far side of the field. They like to hug violently when they don't get their way. Usually from as much high speed as they can muster in that much padding and spandex. Better than half of them are on steroids. Same half of them are persistent in their ignorance of things like deodorant or words that have more than two syllables. But hey. They do love that ball."

Mia did her best to keep from laughing as James continued trying to get a rise out of his dad as his description got more obnoxious. "They're lucky they have Nate to tell them what to do, or I swear to you, some of them wouldn't know where their own homerooms are."

When Scott finally turned to give James a dry look, James smiled at him brightly. "I did say it was only half the team, didn't I?" When that didn't get a reaction, James stood up. "Alright then. I'm going to get something to drink. Dad, I've got your usual. Rachel, Mia, either of you need anything?"

"Cocoa," Rachel said with a nod. "Please."

"Ooh, can you get a couple bags of popcorn for me and the boys?" Mia asked.

"Yep," James said, shoving his hands in his hoodie pocket. "If you come up with anything else- let me know."

"Will do," Mia said brightly.

"Mind if I join you?" Billy asked, already halfway to his feet.

"Sure. Gotta learn your way around, right?" James replied. "Probably smart to give your brother a chance to breathe, anyhow. Need anything, Tommy?"

Tommy was still wiping tears from his eyes from snorting laughing. "Go on. I'll be okay. Just leave me a little water… some chips if you have them…"

James smiled crookedly as he led the way, though that just really gave Tommy the chance to slide closer to Mia as Scott explained what the rules actually were. James and Billy slipped through the crowd to get refreshments for the group, though even as they got in line, James had to point out something important. "I don't know if we'll have seats when we get back. Kind of full crowd. But … I am curious. Keep in mind I'm _not_ complaining. How did you get Ororo to let you three _out_?"

"You _did_ invite me, but … Mia's been pestering her mom about wanting to go out for a while, as I understand it," Billy admitted. "And then she started pestering her about wanting to go on a _date_ , and suddenly, her mom was a _lot_ more open to a group activity." By the time he finished what he was saying, he was laughing to himself.

"So who's your designated chaperone - since I'm willing to bet she wouldn't go with you chaperoning your own brother?" James asked.

Billy glanced over his shoulder until he finally saw a tall blonde staying back from the crowd. "Angel wanted to get out too. It's harder for him to hide…"

"Did you wish his wings off for him?" James teased.

Billy shook his head quickly. "Never. I think they're amazing," he said. "But we all helped with this… harness thing? Didn't look comfortable, but he's so _depressed_ cooped up in there, so… we pitched in." He shrugged. "I'm still getting used to this whole idea. Growing up, Angel could have been flying around wherever he wanted. It's… weird."

"I don't know if that would have been good for _us_ ," James said. "In a weird way, I don't really think we would have done the things we have if we were just focused on avoiding the rest of the world by hiding from it - a hundred miles from civilization." He shrugged. "I can't really speak for anyone else, but I know I have a little mean streak. And I think needing to keep myself under control is a better path than not."

Billy looked thoughtful as he nodded along to everything James was saying. The life Billy had been raised in was worlds different than what everyone else had grown up with. And he was starting to really see that. "To be honest," he said slowly, "I think we shouldn't be as isolated as we are. That's what got Mom to send us here. But I still think, well, I _liked_ being me. Unapologetically."

"So don't change that, little prince. Just … control the more dramatic stuff a little. That's all you gotta do to be more 'normal'."

When they got up to the counter, James put in everyone's requests - including Mia's last minute addition of M&M's for her to share with Tommy - though James was very sure that Rachel had found that part funnier than anything else. He also got an extra bag of popcorn and made an easy arc over to Warren before they headed up to the bleachers again - just so he wasn't entirely isolated. "So you don't have to wait in line," James said quietly as he handed the bag to Warren without warning him or saying hello otherwise.

Warren looked surprised and then broke into a smile. "Thanks."

"Let me know if you need anything," James called out as they left.

James and Billy got back to find that, yes, their seats had been filled - but James didn't look bothered in the least when it was three kids under the age of ten that had taken his and Billy's spots with their family. He turned to Billy for a moment. "Just wait here a minute. I'll take this stuff up to them and we can find a spot on the fence. I'm not gonna make kids move."

"That's alright with me," Billy promised.

It only took a few minutes - and James even pointed out to Scott where he was headed since he knew his dad could relax a little better in a crowd if he wasn't searching for everyone. As it turned out, the spot that was most open was right in front of the 45-yard line where the bleachers opened up to a stairwell. James and Billy leaned against the fence to watch as the refs blew their whistles and, once again, the game came to a screeching halt.

"So, seriously, what's the story with this game?" Billy asked. "Because I think I'd be able to follow a neanderthal-level game."

"So, there are a lot more rules than there should be for such a simple concept," James said. "The core of it is easy. Team A wants to take the ball to the opposite side of the field, and Team B wants to stop them. Add in a whole lot of crap about how many chances they have to do that - how legal certain hits are, how they determine the line of scrimmage when the _coaches are acting like toddlers_ ," he said - sure the last part was loud enough that some of the kids on the track heard it loud and clear. "I'm really horrible at team sports. So I try to avoid getting involved. Honestly."

"Yeah, well, you and me both," Billy said. "Hard to play team sports when the kids your age are scared of beating you. Or… interacting with you."

"Dad tried to get me to do more with sports once I got pulled from regular school," he said. "I could play. I just didn't like to follow the coach. I'd rather just … do it myself instead of going with the team. Didn't matter what the sport was. If the coach was an idiot, I couldn't blindly follow their stupid drills. Not a lot of other chances for that when you're locked up in the tower with the genius squad." He pointed to Nate at centerfield. "Most of the calls out there have to be snap judgements on his part. He's good, so it's not really a problem. But … if you get someone in that spot that's a total idiot or there because of popularity or their parents are friends with the coach or whatever ... "

Billy pulled a face. "Sounds awful."

"Nate makes the wrong call, his guys can get creamed. Or he can." He thought about it for a moment as more whistles sounded and the announcers droned out what was going on over the loudspeaker. "What _did_ you do? You look like you could be a 'lock yourself in a racquetball room' kind of punish yourself person maybe."

Billy smiled lightly. "Actually, you're not far off. Tommy and I are wicked good at tennis."

"Doubles?" James asked.

"Yeah, when we can talk Uncle Alex and Aunt Lorna into it. Aunt Lorna has a serve you wouldn't _believe_."

"I can believe it," James said. "Hockey was okay for me as long as I was in a forward spot so I could go anywhere; otherwise, I liked surfing with Uncle Alex and swimming."

"I didn't mind swimming," Billy said. "But that's all anyone who arrives on Genosha wants to do. And Uncle Alex keeps trying to push surfing on us, too."

"That …is not a surprise either. He loves it, and he loves sharing it with others. And … I do okay with that." James smirked. "He kept trying to get Dad to let him take us to Hawaii for every vacation, but Dad thought it would draw too much attention - seeing as Alex is _known_ to be with one of Genosha's _princesses_. We went a few times. It was fun. The surfing."

Billy smirked. "I'd like to see it."

"You just want to watch me wipe out," James laughed.

"I just want to see you in swimwear," Billy countered with a crooked smile.

James returned the smile but had to chuckle to himself before blowing smoke rings with his breath in the growing cold. "Sadly, this is the wrong time of year for that. You'll have to make do with layers and layers of clothes for a while."

"Yeah, no one warned me about the _cold_." Billy completed the statement with a dramatic shiver.

"It's not even cold _yet_ ," James said, gesturing to his hoodie, though most everyone around them was bundled up more. "This is kind of perfect weather."

"Says you. I need extra blankets at night." Billy turned his hands out. "But I grew up in tropical heat."

"Exactly," James said. "You might get less clothes and beaches now, but here? Warm drinks. Extra blankets. Not to mention curling up with someone by the fire. Good stuff." He smirked crookedly as the teams lined up again. "You'll learn to love it."

"Maybe," Billy said. "Or I might just die of hypothermia all alone in my blanket burrito," he teased.

James laughed. "Yeah? Sounds like it'd be your choice. Pick your hiking partner carefully for the survival course. That's all I can tell you."

"Oh, so for Storm's sake, I should take Mia so Tommy doesn't?"

"I am very sure she wouldn't _allow_ them to pick each other for that class. You don't have to _do_ the hypothermia section … but … the mental imagery."

Billy chuckled. "Those two are already getting in trouble. Not that I'm surprised on Tommy's count."

"Yeah," James said. "Mia's got a little demon in her, if you haven't heard. She gets into plenty."

"Should I be concerned?" Billy asked with a smile.

"Friendly demon," James said seriously.

"Good to know." Billy leaned back. "And what about you?"

"What about me?" James asked.

"Any demons I should know about before I ask you on a real date?"

James almost snorted. "Not that anyone'll admit to."

"Interesting answer."

"You already said I'm not the dangerous one," James pointed out with a grin.

"True, though my grandfather gave me and Tommy both _stern_ warnings about you and your family," Billy said. "We ignored him. Obviously."

James turned his way fully. "Well, now I really want to know what the battle ax had to say."

"Just that _you_ were nothing more than an animal on a leash replacing Scott's previous pet guard dog. Garbage like that."

"I must really irk him. D minus on creativity," James said, doing a beautiful snooty expression as he tipped his chin up. Even if it _stung_.

"I thought so too," Billy said. "Besides, I saw you step in for your dad. I know that side of you _and_ this side. Pretty sure I know enough to ask you to dinner."

"You sure about that? I don't want you rocking the boat too much," James said. "I mean … if you get in trouble for just associating… it might be upsetting to the royal family on how low you set your standards."

Billy waved a hand. "I'm allowed to make my own choices," he said, then paused and bit his lip. "Honestly… full disclosure… Grandfather's been dropping, well, _hints_ that he'd rather see me take over than Alex and Lorna's kids or Tommy. I think I get some leeway."

"Knowing how he feels about my whole family - past and present - you sure that won't tank your chances? Slumming it, I mean," James said. "Do you even _want_ the royal cape?"

Billy shrugged and decided to tell James the truth - especially since he knew that lying wouldn't cut it. "I'm not entirely sure. I've always known it was going to be mine, so I'm _trying_ to, well, I mean, I _do_ think it's a good idea to have a safe haven, you know? I've seen the refugees come in. And the people there seem happy - that I've seen."

"Safe haven? Absolutely," James agreed. "The idea is sound. I just don't know enough about how it actually works. Or, if I'm being perfectly honest," he leaned in closer. "I don't know how much your grandfather has done personally to keep attacks on the island from happening. If I had to guess, it's more than we know about here." James leaned back, giving Billy a little space as he tried to consider Magneto's position. There was no reason, he decided, not to give credit where it was due. "I can understand some of the grump, believe it or not. Just ... the way he tried taking it out on my dad? No."

Billy nodded. "We all get it," he said. "We just get annoyed - like all families do. Sometimes, Grandfather goes too far, and Mom gets worried about him." He sighed. "She doesn't want him to be _more_ than the ruler of Genosha, if you know what I mean."

James nodded and the two of them fell into silence - relatively speaking - as the game continued, neither of them quite sure where to take the conversation at that point. So neither of them was expecting it when a pair of girls came up to say hello.

"You're new," one said as she took a hold of Billy's arm.

"Umm…. yes?" Billy said, looking like he'd been caught completely off his guard.

"I'm Jessica Locke. You are …"

"He's not interested, Jess," James said, though that had her grumbling. He didn't get the chance to expand on his statement, though, before Isabella slid up closer to him and got much more comfortable, even slipping her hands around his waist.

"I know, James, _you_ don't like to _date_ high school girls," Isabella said before she turned to Jessica, who was getting too close to Billy. "Just tell us you're not as uptight as the Mueller boys, new guy."

"I'm not?" Billy scrunched up his nose. "But I'm also gay. So…"

Isabella blinked a few times and then broke into a laugh as Jessica took her hands off of Billy's arm. "That's hilarious, come on. Let's all four of us go find something more interesting than the game to do."

As Isabella began pulling on James, Jessica took her cue from her friend and tried to persuade Billy to move with her, too, a little too handsy as she batted her eyelashes. James glanced at Billy with an apologetic look, and then, he carefully and gently removed Isabella's hands and held onto them long enough to get his message across. "I'm just here to support my brother, Izzy. And neither of us are available. Go find someone you _know_ will play your games. I'm sure you've got someone else lined up"

"And I'm just here to learn the sport," Billy put in, trying to extract himself as well. "I'm not looking for a pretty girl."

"But you think I'm pretty?" Jessica said with a wide grin, clearly fishing for a compliment.

Billy shrugged. "Objectively, sure," he said. "But the quarterback has you beat in the ass department."

James burst out laughing at that, not even trying to hide it, though that seemed to jar the girls more than anything else. Isabella turned to smack James in the chest, but he caught her wrist. "Please quit trying to make your boyfriend jealous, Izzy," he said quietly, subtly shifting how they were standing so she could look past him onto the field, where it was obvious one of the wide receivers was watching with a deep scowl. "I won't stop you if you're just here to put on a show - but no touching my friend."

"Oh, is _that_ what's going on?" Billy muttered low James' way.

"Among other things, yeah. Every time they have a fight, she waits until he's on the field to pull something where he can see it, right Iz?" James prompted, and in answer, her smile only warmed up as she nearly growled out a 'maybe' and stepped in so that her boyfriend _couldn't_ see what she could have possibly been up to that close to James. "We're trying to watch the game, girls."

Isabella looked past James and saw that her boyfriend did in fact seem suitably riled, and that more than anything finally got her to nod and take a step back. Jessica had given up long before and looked almost nervous as she stood next to Billy, hugging herself. "Have fun, boys," Isabella said, then waved and blew a kiss with the tips of her fingers. "See you later, James. We've _still_ got unfinished business."

The two boys watched them go until they melted into the crowd, and finally, James turned to see the look of utter bewilderment on Billy's face. "Must not have been a big fight," James said quietly. "First time they pulled that crap at a game, it was a lot more involved than grabbing an _arm._ "

Billy's eyebrows shot up. "Are you serious?"

James frowned as he watched him react. "Ye-ah. Not a big deal though. Probably doesn't help that … we … kinda almost dated a while ago. Before I found out she's related to Madame Masque and Emma Frost."

"My mom would have …" Billy shook his head. "My upbringing was very different."

"Hey, it's not something my dad approves of either," James said. "But it's just easier not to make a thing out of it."

Billy shook his head. "Still," he said, then offered James his hand. "Best to ask first."

"Generally, yeah," James agreed, then he took Billy's hand and the two of them left the railing. There were too many people to _talk_ properly, and it was clear that Billy didn't have his head on the game. At all.

It was nearly halftime by then anyway, and Scott had gotten up to see if he could find the two of them - though he nearly stopped in his tracks when he saw how _comfortable_ they were. James could almost see the gears in Scott's head turning before he finally blinked back to regular speed and tipped his head their way. "How long has this been going on?" he asked - since technically, James had been grounded.

"What time is it?" James asked without missing a beat.

Scott almost smirked, then caught himself and pointed at James. "You're still grounded. Don't be stupid for one more week."

"What exactly did I do to break terms?" James asked.

"This is a preemptive warning," Scott said, then finally allowed himself to smirk. "Since you have a date I need to worry about now."

"Not yet, I don't," James said. "We've just been talking and poorly avoiding the jealousy squad. "

Scott pressed his lips together. "Again?"

James shrugged openly. "Every time."

"I'm sorry, James."

"It's fine, Dad. I don't care. Ask Rachel about it if you want to know the story. Maybe she can tell you why she keeps trying."

Scott raised an eyebrow Rachel's way - and got a quick telepathic rundown that had him frowning and then outright rolling his eyes. "If you pull that kind of nonsense on anyone you ever date - any of you kids - I'll pack you up and send you to Genosha."

" _Dad_."

"I'm just saying."

"You've _got_ to be kidding me," James grumbled.

"I know I didn't raise any of you to behave like that. I needed a suitable threat."

"Not much of a threat if I'm there, too," Billy whispered under his breath to James. "Could be fun."

James kept his reaction flat, doing a fair job of not smiling before he muttered out 'loophole' - to Rachel's absolute amusement. Especially since Billy couldn't stop the grin at James's snark.

 _You're having way too much fun, little brother,_ Rachel projected to James.

 _Isn't that what you keep telling me to do?_ He asked. _Get out of the lab. Have some fun. Verbatim._

 _Sure is. And I'm loving this look on you,_ Rachel said, and James could hear her smile even telepathically.

_What look is that? Perpetually grounded for not doing anything?_

_Having a blast even if you get in trouble? Trying new things? Yeah,_ Rachel countered.

 _I've been doing that since Stark set me up with my own lab._ James crossed his arms and leaned against the nearest post as the crowd trickled by them. _I don't know what the hell I'm doing here, Rach. Little out of my depth._

 _Well, that's half the fun, I'm told,_ she replied. _I wouldn't know. So far, I've run away from most of my relationships._

_Because they were all idiots._

_Fair point._

_At least he's telling me the truth,_ James said. _Like the fact that the old man has a real problem with me. Already. Even singled me out while warning them about us._

 _You_ did _stand up to him beautifully,_ Rachel said, obviously proud. _Dad was happy to share with me how it went down._

James looked toward Scott for a long moment. _He doesn't actually think I'd do anything even remotely like Izzy, does he? I mean I'm not that … narcissistic. I don't think._

 _No, of course not. But he was so annoyed by how_ often _that happens to you that it turned into his weird sense of humor. You know how he gets. Might be because I showed him how she treats you. He hasn't seen it fully himself … until now._

_Right. Just have to ask sometimes._

_That's what you've got me for,_ Rachel promised. _Got your back._

_Right. So. What's new with you? I've been working more than anything else, and I've missed pretty much everything._

_Not much with me. Just conspiring with Jan, as usual. She's tickled to design us things with X's on them._

_I don't know that I should know about that_.

_We'd show you anyway. Can't leave you out of the loop when the rest of the family's in on it._

_You mean Nate. Nate is in on it._

_Yes, that._ Rachel smiled. _Seriously, Jan's having a ball. We should at least show you her designs._

_Rachel …_

_I know, I know._ Rachel let out a sigh he could hear in their connection. It was a common enough argument with them. Rachel and Nate were far more primed and ready to debut as X-men, but James was _still_ on the fence. _I'm being cautious too. That's why we're keeping the circle small and waiting for the right moment. We're not going to kill Dad, I swear._

_I know. But this is another thing now. If I end up dating this guy for any length of time - isn't that kind of problematic for this team you want? I mean, part of why I got grounded was being a bad influence - and pissing off Magneto. And this seems like the kind of thing that would definitely piss off Magneto._

_We'll figure it out when we get there,_ Rachel said. _You just keep enjoying yourself, and I'll keep plotting, okay?_

_So business as usual._

_Pretty much._

James smiled to himself and turned to face Rachel, who wore an almost proud expression. "You like him," she said quietly. "Don't overthink it."


	35. The Art of Flirting

"I was right," Kate sang out as she skipped behind Nate, then slid into the seat next to him in study hall. "Just got the text from Billy. Your brother is at least _curious_ about the adorable and _fun_ twin."

"Not super surprised," Nate said, doing his best to keep his reaction low and lying through his teeth. "Scientific and all that. Has to check all the possibilities … including the modifier that _the fun twin might be evil._ "

"No way!" Kate laughed. "Billy said he was maybe a one - though I upped it to two just for family affiliation. Two. Out of _ten_. Not evil."

 _He has the same powerset as his mother,_ Nate projected to her. _Potential fifteen, easy._

_The scale is only up to ten._

_You're underestimating Magento's family,_ Nate countered, grinning at her before he leaned in and stole a kiss. "You're cute when you're wrong," he said.

"Pretty sure we just established that I'm right," Kate replied, though she kissed him right back.

"Yeah, the thing with my brother just proves me right - power and danger magnet that he is." Nate pulled her closer until she was practically in his lap. "But I really don't want to talk about my brother and whoever he's seeing or not seeing." He kissed her again. "Do _you_ really want to talk about someone else right now?" _Because I know I'd rather keep my focus on you instead._

"That's really not a fair question," Kate replied. And when they got a few glares from the teacher who was supposed to be keeping the peace at study hall, Kate smiled sweetly and then switched to totally psychic - in a full-on makeout with Nate in their heads.

* * *

The boys still had a whole two weeks to kill before they finally could _go_ on their date, and by the time they met up, James was nervous. Not just about the fact that Billy was from a massively powerful family, or the fact that ticking them off could have widespread consequences. It was a lot more simple than that. He just wasn't sure what was supposed to happen with this date. Already, everything about it felt different.

Were their expectations the same? What was a first date like for Billy versus how James' first dates ran? He didn't know how much Billy got away with wearing a friggin' _crown_ on Genosha, but he knew what he got away with. So he was a little concerned that a slower approach might be a deal breaker for the little prince.

And he'd spent the past two weeks trying to anticipate how he'd react to Billy if they hit it off in person and how to move forward or stop things if they didn't hit it off. It was a daunting prospect. But there was a bigger draw than there was apprehension. Which was how James found himself driving out to Westchester.

He was supremely glad that Billy was waiting with a few new friends when he got there, though they cleared out fast enough and the two of them slipped outside before anyone on the staff could stick their noses in.

"So, there aren't a lot of places we can go and talk openly," James said after they'd stepped outside. He'd planned to pick BIlly up and head out, but on the way to Westchester, James decided it might be smarter to let Billy decide the _where,_ since he'd handled the rest of it. Even if he wasn't familiar with the area, he had his own ways to travel, after all. "So… did you have a place in mind for this picnic, or am I driving somewhere?"

"Right. Hard to talk about ourselves if we need to keep family details secret," Billy said, nodding, but that got James to smile a little more crookedly.

"I keep forgetting that you grew up in a sweet little bubble that nurtured you for who you are," James teased. "It's not _just_ the mutant thing we need to be careful about."

Billy frowned - honestly unaware of what James could have meant by that - and when James realized that the little prince of Genosha had no idea what he was talking about, he smiled tightly and decided to just pull the bandage off.

"NYC may be pretty open-minded in some aspects, but this is small town, USA," James said gently. "There's an attitude over same-sex couples. In some areas of the city, too, if I'm honest."

Billy blinked at him a few times. "How bad is _that_ here?"

James hedged as he weighed his answer. "I know a guy at S.I. that went on a blind date not long ago. It ended up being a setup to beat the hell out of a gay guy. It's an issue. They put him in the hospital."

"What … is even _wrong_ with everyone here?" Billy asked in a clearly outraged and shell-shocked tone.

"I don't even know where to begin," James said. "But it doesn't matter right now. Not really. Not when the answer to my question ends with some alone time so we can see if there's a decent spark. Stay on track, little prince. Unless that's too much to ask … and if that's the case, this is a waste of time."

Billy paused. "If this is your way of saying you're backing out-"

"Nope," James said. "This is my way of saying even _I'm_ used to keeping my date's attention. So - where are we going? I've got the food - you pick the place."

Billy rubbed the back of his neck, still looking like he was caught between wanting to have fun on the date and being _frustrated_ by how stupid people were on the mainland. Finally, he said, "What about a picnic on the roof? Avengers Tower or here in Westchester; you can pick. I just like to see."

"If it's here, you can bet it'd probably end up being a double date with Mia and your brother. The roof is her spot. She's marked it. Repeatedly. The tower? You got a 50/50 shot of Tony being … Tony. So your call. Mia and Tommy or Tony."

"Well, what about your place?" Billy asked. "Kate said you guys have a place in her dad's building. Can we steal their roof?"

James did well to stop short of frowning as he nodded slowly. He knew the rule was not to let just anyone know where the Summers family lived, but seeing as the brownstone in Bed-Stuy wasn't - and _hadn't -_ been their full-time home in a number of years, James nodded. It was a loophole he wasn't afraid of exploiting. "Sure. We can give it a try."

Billy grinned. "I can magically lock the doors, you know."

"You think that would stop Aunt Tasha?" James laughed. "Or Dad for that matter?"

"True," Billy said. "But let's try it anyhow. It's just a first date. I'm not _fast_ enough to need to lock everyone out on a _first date_."

"Well … I've been known to be that easy." James laughed. "But let's see how it goes before we're locking people out. I'm probably considered _slow_ getting to know people anyhow." He stopped and tipped his head. "How … _exactly_ does this work? Do you need the address, or …" He was nearly holding his breath as he asked, if for no reason other than Kate had done the right thing and told Billy about their apartment instead of the house … but what Billy didn't know was that it wasn't the Summers' _home_. It _was_ home, once upon a time, and they did use the place now and again. But the _actual_ Summers home was off-limits without Scott's say-so. And James knew better than to bring Billy _home_. Not yet. Certainly not for a first date - and definitely not so _close_ to Magneto's hissy fit in Westchester.

"That should work," Billy said before he carefully took James' arm, and the next minute after James had told Billy where _exactly_ they were headed, they were on the roof of Clint's apartment building - after a _very_ specific spell to get there with all of their things. When they arrived, Billy looked around, taking in the sights as James breathed a sigh of relief on not seeing the Brooklyn Bridge from the view at the Summers' _actual_ house. "Did I get it right?"

"Looks like," James agreed as he gestured around them. "Behold. Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Keep your wallet close and don't count on the cops showing up. Ever." He turned a little circle, gesturing to the handful of trees behind the building - which was still greener than most of Brooklyn. "Nothing special."

"That's what you think," Billy said, smiling with his hand still on James' arm. "Every skyline is different to me still, remember?"

"True, but I can think of half a dozen better skylines, so … not so special." He smirked and found his favorite spot to lean against the wall that actually overlooked the trees between the back of the building and the back of the buildings on the next street over. "So, how do your first dates usually go?"

"Ah, usually we have dinner and then go see a performance," Billy said.

"So you people watch … _while_ you're with a new guy … huh. Constantly on the lookout for the next pretty face."

"Not really," Billy said, blushing lightly. "Some of the mutations on the island are _beautiful_."

"I'll bet. Kinda drives me nuts that most of the physical mutations are locked away," James said. "I'm just lucky mine's something that can be hidden most of the time."

Billy nodded. "Angel probably would have been a leading man in half the stuff our art department puts on."

"Nah, he can't remember his lines," James laughed.

Billy laughed along. "Oh, well, he can light the opening torch or something."

"He was really good at pushing me through some of the business classes Stark had me take - he insisted on it," James said. "Bored me to tears, but Warren has a good and _enthusiastic_ grasp on that stuff."

"Huh." Billy shook his head. "I'm not signed up for anything like that. But I _am_ taking human-mutant relations. Which is weird, since I didn't have to even deal with humans growing up."

"Right. No puny humans. How's that going? Are you failing?" James asked with a grin. "Real tough for you, I'll bet. Just for how stupid it is."

"No, I'm not _failing_ , but there is a learning curve. I guess I didn't expect all the rules of engagement," Billy said in a sigh. "All I grew up knowing was that humanity was _out here_ , and that was about it. I think Grandfather would eventually have shown us more, because I'd need to know to run Genosha and negotiate for us, but…" He spread his hands wide. "It's all very new."

"Sounds frustrating," James agreed. "I know we have a stilted view of the logistics even compared to 'normal'. Bigger implications if we break the 'rules'." He sighed heavily at that. "I get it. I'm just … I don't know what to do with it. Take the Izzy thing for example. Dad was sure to make it clear that we have to think six steps ahead for stupid things like that, even when it isn't a matter of someone related to Emma and Whitney Frost. See … I can't just say no, because she won't listen - and if I run with it, the boyfriend comes to fight later, and then it's either I take a beating for no reason or face the questions of 'how do you know how to fight like that' and 'why aren't you bruised or bleeding?'" James ran his hand through his hair. "So … I politely ask her to stop and then usually just … tolerate it if she doesn't listen and keeps pushing. She usually gets bored before the game is over."

Billy pulled a face. "And all I worried about back home was whether people were talking to me for me or for my title."

"For our family, that's just the tip of a very nasty iceberg. I have all kinds of things to concern myself with as far as why people are talking to me. How long did Mia wait before she told you we were using a fake name?" James asked, settling in a little better.

"Not very," Billy admitted. "She didn't want me to accidentally call you the wrong thing and blow your cover."

"Kinda figured," he said.

"She was also pretty adamant about not using our powers. She showed me how the inducers work, too. It's crazy the lengths you have to go to here."

"Yeah, that's a big one for her especially, though I have to use one when I'm going in and out of the tower," James agreed. "Glad mine are passive. Don't have to do anything, really. Except, you know, _not_ react to some sensory stuff and keep my temper under control so I don't do something to get myself hurt."

"Tommy's bored out of his mind," Billy admitted. "He's used to doing everything at _his_ speed."

"Poor Tommy," James laughed. "Has to let someone else set the pace."

"He's _dying_ , I've been reliably informed."

"As long as he doesn't try to push Mia, I'll feel sorry for him."

"Yeah, well…" Billy let out a sigh. "We'll see. He's not patient."

"I noticed."

"Mom and Dad rein him in," Billy promised quickly. "Most of the time."

"Storm can handle him. She can handle just about anyone."

"Yeah, that's what Mom's worried about," Billy said with a quiet laugh.

"She'll just zap him a _little_ ," James said with a grin. "I guess that makes you the more reasonable one, then?"

"Theoretically," Billy said, a troublemaking smile spreading over his features. "Or just less high-maintenance."

"Okay, not what he says, but sure …"

"Yeah, he _would_ say I'm harder to deal with," Billy said, rolling his eyes.

"So … as entertaining as your brother is, I don't really want to hear about him. Tell me about _you_."

Billy flushed. "Sorry. I guess I'm not good at this part either. Most people already know the basics, and I just… build from there."

"I didn't have your floating grandfather to make me memorize your life story. So you're gonna have to tell me your unofficial version from your point of view."

Billy chuckled and then leaned back on his elbows. "I guess… I could start at the beginning? Mom wished me and Tommy into being, so we've always… stood out."

"Not gonna lie: that's kind of cool," James said.

"I think so too," Billy said with a smirk. "And then growing up on the island, Aunt Lorna doted on us, and so did Uncle Alex, of course…"

"She dotes on everyone," James pointed out. "And Alex tries _so_ hard to be the _cool_ uncle."

"Yeah, they're like that." Billy shrugged. "But then when Grandfather realized Tommy _acted_ like Pietro in addition to looking like him, he accused Mom of wishing _that_ part too and… I think that's when I realized I was his favorite."

"What's wrong with being like your uncle? Your brother's hilarious."

"Yeah, but Grandfather never got along with Pietro as well as he did Mom and Lorna," Billy admitted.

James gasped dramatically. "That doesn't seem possible."

"Oh, shut up," Billy said, though he was smirking. "The point is: Tommy figured out pretty quick that Grandfather only wanted him around when he was feeling nostalgic, so… I spent a _lot_ of time at the palace filling in for both of us."

"Yeah, that's pretty crappy," James agreed. "At least all I get is how much I look like Logan. And occasional vague references now and again."

Billy nodded. "Mom was pretty struck by the resemblance," he admitted. "She used to come to the mainland - she was an Avenger and an X-Man, you know? But after everyone died, she said it was too hard to watch."

"I was too small to remember," James said. "So I only grew up on the stories, and the cautionary tales, but it's been just us and Dad for almost everything." He drifted off for a moment, thinking it over. There _were_ times where Natasha had stepped in … or Tony. And he didn't think Billy would appreciate hearing how he'd _been_ with Kitty and Bobby until they wanted him to go to Genosha - and he freaked out. But most of the hand-offs that James could remember had centered around when James had been sick or some of the weapons groups had caught up to them and they were forced to leave James with the medical help he needed while they tucked away someplace secure. It had never lasted long, of course. But there was a reason James looked at Tony and Steve more like uncles than his brother and sister did.

"We got stories from Mom, Dad, Alex, Lorna… even some people on the island who used to be X-Men or who were rescued by them and came to the island to feel safe after the attack on the school," Billy said.

"I'll bet there were a few of those," James said. "We lived in the woods for a while. I loved it there. Dad said it used to be Logan's place."

Billy smiled. "I think that would be fun. I like what I've seen so far of the woods near the school."

"The woods by the school are pretty tame." James shook his head. "We can't go back to that cabin, though. Which kind of sucks. I had a wolf pack that was friendly there, but-"

Billy's eyes were wide. "You had a _what_?"

"Timberwolves," James said as if it was a perfectly reasonable answer. "They were friendly. They let me pet them, and they liked to kind of hang around the place." He tipped his head and closed his eyes for a moment, thinking back to those woods that he'd _loved_. "We had deer that would come up to the front door, too."

"Holy… wow."

James raised an eyebrow at that. "You're only saying that because Magneto Island doesn't have deer. Or wolves. And the city just has rats the size of small dogs and pigeons that are completely rabid."

"I think I heard a lion once?" Billy said, then winced. "Yeah, I don't… hey, on the other hand, I've been shark diving! Dad took me."

"That sounds like fun," James said. "Did you pet one?"

"Yeah, no. When the cage is designed by Vision, you can't touch them, and they can't touch you? But it's still pretty cool."

James nodded along for a moment. "I'd want to pet one. If I get that close, I wanna touch it."

Billy chuckled. "I feel like I should be surprised. But I'm not."

"You had to have thought it too," James said. "Even if you wouldn't do it - you thought it."

"Particularly about the hammerheads," Billy admitted.

"Tigersharks. Or Great Whites," James countered with a grin. "I want to know if the white part feels different than the gray."

"Of course you do," Billy laughed.

The two of them chatted for a long while, nibbling on their picnic and sharing stories as they got to know each other better - and got more comfortable. James was partly through the story on how they'd ended up living out of the woods when he paused and tipped his head to the side, watching the door.

"Clint," James said. "He's probably planning to give you a hard time. Sorry, in advance."

"No one knew we were coming here," Billy pointed out.

"No, but this building has better security than pretty much anywhere but Avengers Tower," James said. "Aunt Tasha knew the instant we showed up. Only reason it didn't set off the system to battle stations was because I'm with you." He shrugged one shoulder up. "DNA scanners."

Billy still couldn't hear anyone approaching, but just before the door opened, James told him quietly "If he gets to be too much, just get us out of here. I don't want this to end early because he has boundary issues." Which, of course, had Billy quietly smiling to himself.

Clint stepped through the door and paused, his expression somewhere between troublemaking and aloof - though that was pretty normal when he was ready to get after one of 'his' kids dates. "I thought maybe I was misinformed, but no," Clint said.

James glanced at Billy but didn't say anything, waiting to see which direction Clint was going.

Clint, for his part, was doing his best to look disapproving and angry until he simply couldn't hold back his grin. "You just _had_ to find someone Nat couldn't do a full background check on. You're driving her nuts, you know that?"

"Figured she didn't need to do a full background check on an ex-teammate's kid," James countered. " _Two_ ex-teammates, technically."

"You'll be lucky if she doesn't come up and interrogate him," Clint said.

"See … but now I want her to," James said with a crooked smile. "Where's the line she won't cross? I know she doesn't want to tick off the Scarlet Witch. So …"

"Don't kid yourself," Clint said. "She's not afraid of Wanda."

"If you say so," James said airly, turning his head away from both Clint and Billy with a serene look that he couldn't possibly know was straight out of his mother's handbook. But it was enough to get Clint to crack a smile.

"But that's not why I'm here _now_ ," Clint said as he crossed his arms.

"Here we go," James said under his breath, his chin tipped down to his chest and his fingers entwined in his lap where he sat against the short wall.

Clint smirked crookedly for a moment but pushed forward. All of the kids had been subjected to this at one point or another, and he'd really enjoyed watching little May Parker squirm when he gave her a run down. This was cheap entertainment. "Normally I'd ask if you had a criminal record or what you're expecting out of my kid. Turns out it's hard to be criminally liable for anything when you're considered _royalty_." He smiled a little wider. "And since my lovely wife couldn't do a real run down on you, I went ahead and called your mom. Had a lovely chat. Made it easy to skip the big questions when I already know the answers."

"You could have asked me," Billy said, blushing lightly. "I would have answered."

"Yeah, but I'd rather you answered the stuff no one wants to," Clint said with a wave. "I already know what the plans are for you when you're older and what you do in your spare time. Wanda even told me what your powerset it. Seems she thought we should know what kind of trouble you get into. So …"

The two boys shared a look, but James had nothing he could do to help as Clint continued. "So. What's the big plan tonight? You just playing the 'G' rated 20 questions or are you going right to the adult version."

"Uncle Hawk," James said flatly. "Come on."

"It's a valid question," Clint said, then turned his attention on James. "What made you decide to go out with this guy anyhow?"

"Who's getting interrogated here?" James asked.

"See … the fact that you don't know means I'm doing it right," Clint said, the crooked smile creeping back into place. "Nat'll be proud." He pointed at James. "Answer the question."

James blew out a breath, but by the expression Billy was wearing, this was the kind of question he _needed_ to answer. "He's fun," James said. "And we hit it off. We've been texting since they got here, and I like him. Figured I'd give him a shot if he was game."

"Alright," Clint said, nodding. "Who made the first move?"

"That would be me," Billy said, raising his hand. "Hi. Nothing nefarious going on. Promise."

"Do I need to have the consent talk again?" Clint said, going back to serious.

James frowned and looked between Clint and Billy for a moment. "Only if it applies to people asking questions they don't need to ask because this is a little aggressive as far as first date stuff."

"Nah. I have the same chat with all my kids' prospective suitors." He stopped and watched both boys. "Unless you're not _serious_."

"It's a _first date_ ," James said. "Leave us alone for a while and we might be able to form an opinion."

"Answer like that makes me want to get comfy."

James turned to Billy with a significant look. "Your call. But I'm good to _go_. He's not going to be any better the more he sticks around."

Billy nodded. "Okay. Yeah, just ... " He reached over to take a hold of James' arm and started chanting under his breath. They were there just long enough for Clint to realize what was going on before they disappeared without a trace, leaving Clint on the roof.

When the two of them popped back into existence - it was once again in the woods, but it took James a few moments to reorient himself - only to reach out and pull Billy to a stop before they could walk any further. "We're … a few miles from the school - which I'm fine with if you don't mind walking for a while." He smiled crookedly. "Guess we'll need to find a way to make that one more specific, huh? Westchester is the town, after all."

Billy let out a self conscious sort of laugh, and shrugged. "I did say it wasn't an exact science."

"You did," James agreed as he pointed them the right way. "You also said you had to want something to make it happen too. So maybe this is what you really wanted. Deeper woods ... not to be interrupted."

"Did you want to rush back?" Billy asked, trying to check on how James felt about how the date had gone.

"No," he replied, shaking his head slowly. "I'm fine going through the woods if you are. And nothing will bother you. In case you were nervous."

The two of them walked on in comfortable silence as the sounds of the forest picked up around them. It was dark, after all - and though summer was well past, there were plenty of creatures and birds still in the trees to make up for the lack of crickets and other cheerful insects. But there was no _trail_ , so Billy found himself getting a little crash course in traversing the woods off the beaten path by the light of a full moon. He was doing remarkably well, too, until he made a small misstep. The rocks underfoot were slippery, and Billy lost his footing. Before he could hit the soft dirt, however, James caught him.

"I'm not holding up my end of this deal very well," James said as Billy brushed himself off of imaginary debris, trying to regain his composure and hoping that James didn't see the blush he was wearing in the low light. Before Billy could react, James reached over to take his hand. "Stay close this time, huh?"

"Good idea," Billy agreed, smiling to himself.

The two of them headed through the woods, hand in hand and side by side until the path became too narrow, then James simply shifted his grip on Billy's hand and stepped forward to test the rocks on the slippery downhill slope before Billy could. For no other reason than it was easier for James to see. Which was all fine and good until at the bottom of the slope, James lost _his_ footing in the slippery clay only for Billy to catch him and the two of them to end up on the ground, though they were both laughing about it.

"Are you okay?" James asked with a grin, half tangled up from the fall and on his side as he faced Billy.

"Yeah, I think so," he replied, shocked at the ridiculousness of it and smiling himself.

"I'll be docked for bad guiding," James laughed before they could even begin to untangle from each other. "Sorry 'bout your luck, little prince."

Billy frowned at that, though the smile didn't slip all the way. "What do you mean by that? I think my luck has been pretty good."

"Well … we started out alright, I think? Halfway in the sky on top of the building, and now? You're in the _dirt_. Kind of a spectacularly rotten turn, don't you think?" James pushed himself halfway upright, but that only got him just a little closer, which made it that much easier for Billy to be a little spontaneous.

Before James could untangle, Billy reached out and rested a hand on the side of James' neck and leaned forward to steal a kiss. And while it wasn't something James had exactly _expected_ , to his credit, it didn't take him long to respond. The two of them paused long enough to lock gazes before James leaned in for a more extended kiss. The first quick kiss turned into another longer, more involved one and by the time they stopped a while later, both of them were out of breath, more tangled up, and wearing a fair amount of smeared mud and crushed leaves from their fall down the last few steps of the hill.

"See?" Billy said after a moment. "Nothing wrong with my luck."

James let out a breath of a laugh as he broke into a brilliant smile. "Does that mean you want to do this again? Not - the whole falling into the dirt thing necessarily, but date two?"

"Ah, _yeah_ ," Billy laughed then started one more kiss before the two of them _finally_ untangled from each other. James was on his feet first, and he pulled Billy up with him, then _tried_ to brush off some of the forest that stuck to him before once again, he offered Billy his hand and they took their _time_ heading back, enjoying the walk more now that the tension was broken.

When the boys finally parted company for the evening, Billy was in a great mood as he headed back into the school, where his brother was waiting for him. "So," Tommy said. "How did hunting the hunter go?"

"You're a horrible brother," Billy said, shaking his head as he checked his texts, grinning to himself.

"But … does that mean it went well, or that you need to consider that guy that was watching you in human-mutant relations, because if I'm being honest - I don't like the guy in class _at all_. At least the young Wolverine is funny."

"Hey, did you get a solid answer from Storm on when you're _allowed_ alone with Mia again?" Billy asked, which only had Tommy throwing a pillow at him.

* * *

Kate had been bouncing on the balls of her feet after she'd gotten home from her date. She'd heard from her Dad how the near-interrogation went - and how the boys had _disappeared_ to avoid dealing with the rest of Clint's questioning. Which, she thought, was a pretty slick way to handle it. For a little while anyhow.

Her mom was a little irked at how easily Billy got them _gone_ with no clue as to where, even with Clint promising her that Wanda _swore_ that Billy was a _good kid_. But considering that no one had heard from them since they disappeared off the rooftop, Kate was waiting as patiently as she was able with her cell phone in her hand expecting the text to come through.

She'd already sent two … okay. Maybe more than two, but the point wasn't _numbers_. It was _content_. And she needed to _know_ how it had went. Now! She was excited and hopeful for both Billy and James's' behalf, nervous _for_ Nate - even if he thought he was hiding how anxious he was over James' new _sweetheart_. Oh, she really hoped that they hit it off. _They were so cute together_ , after all. And Billy really did want to take a shot.

It was getting late - though not yet to the Summers' boys' curfew when she _finally_ got a text back from Billy.

 _So I just got back_ , Billy wrote. The three dots danced and stopped. Danced and stopped again, and as Kate was drafting up a tease, Billy replied. _I kissed him. There was a lot of kissing. Don't worry though. I'm going to be a gentleman and try to keep it to myself._

_Good. I really don't want to hear details on how my Superior Summers' brother kisses. No thanks._

_But now I want to tell you …_

Kate giggled to herself and settled in, already asking for how the non-kissing section of their date had gone, not that she had to when Billy was already gushing.


	36. Double Agent

There really hadn't been anything _special_ about that random Friday afternoon in New York. Not to James, anyhow. He and Tony had been working together on a project for the military - though Tony had been careful to keep James far away from the junior military liaison that followed Rhodey around at every visit. The two of them were working on a new, thinner armor that Tony had insisted would only be produced if it was made for the soldiers - not _just_ the officers. The lower level military guys had been dealing with sub-par stuff for _years_ and Tony was tired of being asked to upgrade continually only for his upgraded gear to be used exclusively by those not even close enough to the action to make use of it.

Rhodey and his shadow had just left and Tony took a few minutes with James to go over the notes that he'd taken during the demo before he nodded to himself and headed out - already putting in the order for some pizza that they could dig into for a late lunch while they re-worked the specs for production. Which left James with a stack of gear to go through, deciding for himself which parts he wanted to work on and which ones he would pass on to someone else. He was finishing up tossing some of the parts into recycling when the door to his lab opened to admit his sister, Billy, and Tommy - all of whom had been spending a rare day off of school going through the city, sightseeing.

"It's _snowing_ ," Billy said, before James could even say hello.

"Which almost makes up for the cold," Tommy decided - and a second later, he was on the other side of the lab, dropping onto the couch. "Almost."

"It's not even really sticking to the ground yet," James said, moving a vest to his main work bench, since that was the one part of the armor that was coming along better than the more fidgety helmets. "So it's not even cold enough to complain yet."

"That's backward thinking," Tommy said, making a face, though he paused to look around the room - then darted around the lab to take a closer look - not that James cared much.

"I'm surprised you didn't rush back to Westchester," James said toward Tommy as Billy took off his coat and scarf.

"I will," Tommy said. "But _someone_ said I should try to be more social here at the tower. So … I'm being social."

"You don't have to be here if you don't want to," Rachel said, and in the time it took Billy to open his mouth to argue it, Tommy grinned, zipped over to kiss her cheek and rushed out leaving all of them to take a moment to catch up to what had just happened. "I shouldn't have said that."

"No, it's fine. He would have been awful if he hadn't grabbed that loophole to run back. He needs to stretch his legs anyhow." Billy grinned at Rachel. "I almost want him to hit ice and fall on the way back."

Rachel laughed and shook her head. "Your brother did that purposely to ditch me, didn't he?"

Billy shrugged openly. "Maybe …"

Rachel rolled her eyes and was just turning to leave when the door opened in front of her and Tony came in with a pizza box in hand. "Hey. You've got visitors! Put it down and take a break, would you?" he said to James, then smiled at Rachel an instant before turning his focus to Billy, too. "You two stickin' around? Grab a slice and help me get him to stop for a minute."

"I'm almost done," James defended as Tony set the box down with a raised eyebrow. "I am."

"It's not going anywhere, kiddo. You did great dealing with Rhodey's shadow, too. Better than I did."

James let out a breath as Rachel gave him a look, then he turned to wash up. He didn't make it a habit to argue with Tony when he was in a good mood like this - and he was in a pretty good mood after both a training session to teach James how to deal with the military brass and a very progressive inventing session with him, too. It was the best of both worlds, as far as Tony was concerned and his work on James was starting to pay off.

As James washed up, Rachel grabbed some drinks from the mini fridge for all four of them and then slipped over to pull out some paper plates, too. Until she'd started stocking them in James' lab, he and Tony had been in the habit of sharing their lunch right out of the box - which went against just about everything their father had taught them.

James sat down between Billy and Tony, barely glancing up as he cracked open the can of coke Rachel slid him and the group started to dig in silently at first. But Rachel couldn't help that her attention was still drawn by the body armor on the bench.

"So," she said between bites. "What's the big project today? Looks serious."

"Same old," Tony answered - long used to simply answering questions from Summers kids. "Upgraded body armor for the military. New components. Lower cost, higher strength. Just have to make it a little lighter without losing the durability and protection."

"Just one more step to the process," James agreed, which Tony was smiling over and enjoying the easy conversation they had going on.

"You need anything for that?" Tony asked after a beat, though James shook his head before answering.

"Not for this, no," he said, cluing Rachel in at least that the two of them were simply picking up on where they left off their last conversation. There was a hesitation before James smirked. "Could use a 3D printer with better capabilities though. Resolution isn't as good as I'd like it to be on the one I've got now. And it's way too small."

"The printer you've _got_ isn't even on the market yet," Tony pointed out with a dry look, but James didn't back down, shrugging carelessly.

"Doesn't change anything. Still need better resolution."

The two of them continued their discussion - though silent as they stared at each other - all the way up until Tony let out a sigh, got to his feet, and grabbed another slice of pizza. "You gonna tell me what you're making?"

"Nope," James said, shaking his head lightly, and again, the discussion seemed to fall into silence for a long moment only to be broken once again by a non verbal sound from Tony as he watched James.

"How much bigger do you need it to be?" Tony asked finally.

"Three times what my max is now. Four would be better."

Rachel was smirking behind her soda can. She wasn't sure what James was up to, but she could hear Tony loud and clear - and he was trying desperately to figure out what the kid was doing without being pushy. His curiosity was getting the better of him, and Rachel could see watching her brother that he knew it without anyone confirming it for him.

"Will you tell me what you're working on if I can manage a bigger _higher resolution_ SLA?"

Again, James shook his head lightly. "No. But I'll show you after the test run."

Tony sighed heavily and dropped one hand on James' shoulder as he thought it through- still doing his best to look as if he was weighing everything out. "Gimmie a couple days. Should be up and running by then."

"No rush," James promised. "I've got plenty to do here for the generals."

"I want to see what you're up to," Tony said. "Especially when I'm guessing a large reason you want it bigger is so you don't have to do any seams?"

"Maybe," James replied, still totally relaxed and at ease, even when Tony smirked to himself and gave James a one-armed squeeze.

"You kids don't do anything I wouldn't do while I'm gone now," Tony said, winking at Rachel just to rile her.

"Told you, I'm not going to your board meetings unless it's necessary," James called out.

"Not this year. Next year? Well ..." Tony said just before he slipped out of the door, leaving the kids to their own devices.

"This isn't _lunch_ , is it?" Rachel said once the door was closed. "It's past three."

"We were distracted," James defended.

Rachel smirked at her brother. _Sure you were_ , she projected. _You've made his whole week by whatever it was that you pulled off earlier - I could hear him preening before we were even halfway here._

 _He's training me,_ James replied, always easier to converse with telepathically when he was busy eating. _He's going to talk to Dad about having me join him on a few trips overseas this year. Teaching me how the company works. Dealing with foreign entities … contracts …_

_Doesn't sound like the usual thing his inventors need to do._

_It's not,_ James agreed, though he was focused on grabbing a bite and clearing his head - so he missed the expression on Billy's face as he stared at the body armor on the bench. But Rachel didn't miss it.

Rachel quietly watched Billy for a moment longer before gently reaching out to see what the guy was thinking and found herself frowning at his suspicious line of thoughts. It was pretty clear right off the bat that Billy was dealing with conflicting information and having seen not only the fact that James was working on stuff that was above the level of 'student', but that he was making subtle demands with no promise of outcome to Tony for equipment was one thing. But the genuine warmth Tony showed toward James - the fact that he wasn't questioning him further than to ask what he wanted before he was obviously prepared to move mountains - It was the kind of conflicting information that meant Billy had to come to his own conclusions - and the conclusions he was coming to certainly didn't add up to what he thought was an established truth.

But, Billy blinked out of his haze and looked up to catch Rachel watching him, and very suddenly, Billy's projected thoughts dropped off almost entirely - except of course for the quiet gut reaction of 'oh crap' when faced with a telepath. The two of them stared at each other for a second longer before Billy cleared his throat and went for the most obvious subject. "What is this stuff made of anyhow?" he asked James, tipping his head at the body armor on the bench.

"New formulation of resin, mostly," James said between bites before he turned toward the armor. "And a bunch of other stuff, too. That's the prototype _I_ liked. Brass didn't agree. Too bad for them."

"Is that what you've got Tony jumping through hoops for?" Rachel asked.

"No," James said, finally engaging in the conversation. "That's a little pet project of mine - _for_ him. He doesn't know about it and he's not going to until it's done."

"Not in a sharing mood?" Rachel asked with her head tipped slightly.

"Obviously not," James answered. "Don't worry about it though. It's not another prank. Well … not yet, anyhow." He turned toward Billy this time with a crooked smile. "If you're done with the tour guide routine, we could have an early date. I'm done for the day."

Billy blinked once then broke into a grin. "Sorry, Rachel, I have plans now. I can find my own way back to Westchester."

James smiled at his sister and switched to projecting. _Let Dad know I'll be home a little late, please? Not super late, just … I'll miss dinner, but make curfew._

 _Diving right in, are you?_ Rachel asked with an ill-hidden smile.

 _I'm pretty sure this is the first nearly-normal thing I've done in … a long time_ , James countered. _And I'd like to try a little normal for a change._

 _Have fun,_ Rachel told him as all three of them left the lab. _And if you need anything, project to me. I'll be listening. Just in case._

 _Starting to sound like Dad,_ James countered before he and Billy headed out into the falling snow leaving Rachel thinking hard about what she'd gleaned from Billy's thoughts.

* * *

"I don't think you understand, Grandfather," Billy was saying quietly into the receiver as he tucked himself into a quiet spot in the empty horse barn at Xavier's. "Or maybe I'm not being very clear - there is no strain between the Avengers and mutants that I've been able to see. Mr. Stark is _very supportive_ of Cyclops' family. He's been backing up Rachel and helping her to be an Avenger - and she's amazing, honestly. And nice. They're _all_ really nice here."

"Stark has no reason but guilt to take those children into account," Erik replied. "Had his team of so-called heroes done what they claimed to from the beginning, their families would be intact and Cyclops wouldn't be in such a sorry state of limbo. No. If he's not using those children, then he's using their father."

"That doesn't line up," Billy argued with a little more stern tone. "I've watched Stark in James' lab. He gives him whatever he wants without … he doesn't make him do anything that I've seen."

"How does that _not_ sound like guilt, William?"

"It's _not_. He's training him for something. I didn't get the details on what though," Billy said, half bragging and half complaining when in fact, their last date just days before had been interrupted when Tony had informed James that they had to go. To Los Angeles. Right then. And they'd been gone for almost three days, yet none of the other Summers family members seemed bothered by that fact.

Sure, James had texted Billy back, but he couldn't give Billy a reasonable time frame on when they could pick back up with what had been pretty regular dates. Once the boys had started exploring dating each other, it had become a frequent thing. Which meant that with James across the country with Tony, Billy had less than usual to do. He was quickly discovering that the mainland was even less fun when he couldn't _do_ anything with his favorite distraction. Kate was fun … when she wasn't tied up with _her_ sweetheart, but seeing as Kate and Nate went to school together … and they weren't in Westchester … it just wasn't the same. The fact that Tommy was being obnoxious with Mia every spare second of the day was just adding insult to injury. Even America was acting as if he was causing her pain when they hung out and he was being so mopey.

But Billy had still managed to stop just short of telling his grandfather that he was _dating_ anyone. Even if he was getting dangerously close to that subject, he knew that Erik would avoid bringing up _that_ issue. Particularly since he likely didn't _care_ if Billy was dating - though he would care if he knew _who_ he was dating. "I'm telling you, honestly, I don't see anything going on that's anywhere close to what you're worried about," Billy swore.

"Then it's only because you haven't been around when it's been happening," Erik said patiently. His tone was even and relaxed, as if this was normal conversation. "Stark is a weapons manufacturer. There is no coincidence that the one child in that group that he's showing an interest in happens to be the offspring of two weaponized mutants. If nothing else, he's keeping the Summers children close so no one else can pick them up and convince them to fight the Avengers."

But that actually hit close enough to the truth that Billy had to take pause. He'd heard more or less the same thing from the Summers kids, and Kate, and her parents.

"What we don't know is what the Avengers are planning to do with them. Or about them. They're too dangerous for the Avengers to _allow them_ to roam freely. All three of them." When there was a pause, Erik realized how little Billy was agreeing or arguing by that point. "You cannot allow yourself to sympathize with those humans, William. They would imprison and use you in an instant."

"No, I'm not .. it's not really a sympathy thing, Grandfather. It's more that I know that the Avengers aren't-" He stopped himself from continuing, knowing that it would only start a fight - and he didn't want to fight with his grandfather. Not in person. Not from a distance - not at all if he could help it. Before Erik could lay into him, Billy handled it quickly. "I can't assume what they're up to until I get closer."

"Do you have someone that you've gotten to be _friends_ with in their tower?" Erik asked in a slow, even meter.

"Yes," Billy replied, one eye closed.

"And is it someone that could get you into their labs?"

"Ye-es," he said slowly. "I can do that pretty easily, I'm sure. Even without using my abilities." He hoped that would be good enough for his grandfather and that he wouldn't ask _how_.

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone. "Then I suggest you spend as much time as you need there finding out what exactly, the Avengers are up to and what Stark is using that boy for. I'll expect to hear all about it when you come home. Oh, and be _careful_ around Rachel Summers. Telepaths are notoriously nosy."

"Yes. I will be careful. I should know what the story is by the time the holidays hit. Hopefully."

Billy hung up his phone and stared at the screen for a long while. He knew he had to keep up his communication with his grandfather, but the longer it went on, the more Billy wasn't sure about … all of it. Very little of what Erik had taught them had proven to be true - at least as far as horrible humans went. Yes, Billy had finally seen a few anti-mutant people in action from afar, but they truly were in the minority. Of course, he kept it in the back of his head that _maybe_ some of these people were so reasonable because they didn't _know_ who was a mutant and who wasn't. That was a concern, after all. So until he saw irrefutable proof one way or another, Billy decided to go back to reading the book that he'd found in the library that Professor Xavier had written.

Billy smiled when he first opened the book containing Xavier's works - in part because he knew it was something that had been dear to _all_ mutants, even if he hadn't read it yet. His grandfather and mother had referenced the works many times, but even at that, he hadn't expected it to be so starkly different than what Erik had tried to raise the boys with. Many of the words were familiar, and the basic ideas, but the further Billy got in reading the words that Xavier had written, the more he wondered how close Charles and his grandfather had been. Erik's outlook was very different than Charles' words … but Erik spoke with such affection in his tone when he talked about Charles Xavier … it had Billy wondering if Erik's misinterpretation was born from _heartbreak._

Which meant Billy was looking at his grandfather in an entirely different light. The more he read, the more inconsistencies he found between what was written and what Erik had told the family and the citizens of Genosha. The more he read, the more he wondered how long Erik and Charles had danced around each other from afar, and the more he felt sorry for both of them having missed out on being able to enjoy each other's company more _openly_. And considering what James had told him about how uptight people were _now_ , it had to have been worse for gay men at that time. It certainly explained Erik's total attitude toward intolerance. Everything about Erik had been something for someone to hate. Being Jewish. Being a mutant. Being gay - or at least bi. Any one of those things would have been taboo. To be all three? Erik had created Genosha to be a utopia - but it was a utopia that Charles simply didn't want to run away to.

Billy closed the book as he made the connection. _Now_ he realized - or thought he did - what it was that had motivated Erik so strongly. All he needed now was a way to figure out how much of what Erik was doing was revenge and hurt and how much of it was accurate to how the world actually worked.

His cell phone chimed and Billy unlocked it to see who it was that was texting him - only to break into a grin when he saw that it was James - with good news on his return to New York, and already working on plans for something _fun_ even before he got in the air to fly home. And that sounded like a lot more fun than whatever espionage his grandfather wanted him to commit.

* * *

Erik might have backed off enough to let Billy and Tommy go to school in Westchester - thanks in large part to Wanda - but he was also good for his word. He showed up in Washington D.C. just before Thanksgiving for a dramatic hello and to throw his weight around leaving the same old message that mutants were not to be trifled with lest those involved wanted to invoke his wrath.

Of course, the Avengers were called in as soon as he appeared - even before he started to make a scene, which meant Rachel and Kate were sharing looks with Jan the whole way.

"Just get him to sign off on the uniform," Jan said quietly to Kate. "And I'll have them all ready in a snap."

"Good, because this feels like a good bad guy to debut with," Kate said.

"It so does, and considering that the twins said James almost _stabbed him_ , you know ... " Jan said with a serious look.

"Oh, come on," Kate laughed. "It was just a snarl."

"Yeah, James doesn't pop his claws unless he means to use them," Rachel said. "There's no _almost_."

"When was the last time he snarled?" Jan asked.

"Um… probably that guy that tried to get me in the back of his truck a few years ago," Rachel said.

"Mmmmhmm. That was a good year for that kind of thing. Were there claws then?"

Rachel hedged then tipped her chin up. "I can neither confirm nor deny on the grounds that Dad would have a heart attack either way," she said with a sniff.

"That's _totally_ a yes."

"Hey, he had it coming," Rachel said.

"Further confirmation," Jan sang out quietly.

Kate giggled. "She's not wrong, Rachel."

"Are the sweethearts still sweet?" Jan asked. "I know there was a small break when Tony took James to the west coast. But those boys are _so cute_ together. Ooh! How is your dad handling _that_?"

"I think he was kind of surprised James swung that way," Rachel admitted. "We all kind of were. James too, a little, if I'm being honest. But Dad got over it pretty quick once he saw how happy James is with Billy and how relaxed he is when they're together."

"Good. They're adorable," Jan said. "And Billy told me he has something special in mind for James' birthday. He's _such_ a sweet guy. And totally smitten."

"Well, you know dad. If it makes us happy, he has a hard time saying no. The only thing we've _ever_ fought about was this." Rachel gestured to her uniform.

"Yes, well. The new ones have a little extra pop," Jan said. "When you get James to stop being so _anxious_ about it and sign off, I'll show you the _full_ team look I have planned. And believe me. You want to see it."

"He just needs to know Dad isn't going to have an aneurism," Rachel said. "That's all."

"Which is a real concern," Jan agreed.

"Yeah, well, you know how he is," Rachel said in a sigh as the team arrived to find Magneto still floating over the city.

"Stand down," Steve called out, announcing their presence - not that Magneto needed it. "No one here wants a fight."

"Is that why you came in a show of force?" Erik asked with one eyebrow raised.

"It's not a show of force, Magneto," Steve insisted. "It's outreach. We came with some of our newest members-"

"To show them how best to push around those you find beneath you? Yes, I think that's already been established by how mutants are treated already."

"Woah, take _two hundred_ steps back and pull your head out," Jan said, her wings fluttering behind her as a blush rose up on her cheeks. Before she'd gotten so involved with Scott and his kids, Jan hadn't been sure how to fight someone that accused the Avengers of doing less than their best, but those were _her kids too_ as far as she was concerned. She wasn't going to let _anyone_ get away with accusing her and her family of turning their backs on _any kids._ "You don't know what you're talking about, mister."

"I know that mutants are only allowed to live in this country and elsewhere if they hide who and what they are," Erik said. "And I will not stand idly by any longer."

"Then you haven't met our newer members," Kate sang out with a crooked smirk. "Prestige, say hi."

Rachel smirked as she took off from the ground, her cloak catching the wind of her motion - and Nate, who had _just_ convinced his dad to let him be a junior Avenger, put his arm around Kate's shoulders to pick her up to float too. It was both a flirt… and a way to hide that Kate was just plain human from a guy who clearly had a vendetta against humanity.

"You're the one attacking people based on their genetics, and we're the ones with a mixed team," Nate pointed out.

Erik turned toward him with a crooked sort of smile. "Ah. The football player," he said. "This is your little cheerleader friend, is it not? Tell me, what can you _do_ , my dear girl?"

"Outshoot my boyfriend, for starters," Kate said without missing a beat, and Nate barely tipped his head back with a groan as he tried to keep it as professional as possible

"Seriously?" Nate said under his breath, though he didn't turn to look at her.

"He _asked_."

"I'm sure that's _very impressive_ at the high school," Erik said in his most patronizing tone. "But I meant what are _your_ abilities? What _superior gift_ were you endowed with - or is that _all_ you do?"

"Like we're going to give you personal details when you're coming so close to busting secret identities to the news," Rachel said, then projected to Kate to be careful, since Erik, according to Scott, had always looked down on humans. Not that Kate needed the crib notes when she'd already had a far less aggressive conversation like this with Billy.

"Ah, yes. I was wondering what had happened to you, young lady. How closely do you plan to follow in your mother's footsteps?" Erik said in a booming voice that carried to her easily.

Rachel paused and swallowed before she did her best to look confident all the same. "Actually, I'm more like my dad. I plan to step up and lead when I'm older."

"Before or after you step into your _fire_?"

Rachel froze. "I-"

"I thought you were coming to tear us down for the way _we_ treat mutants," Steve snapped. "Don't come after my _junior_ team members while telling me I'm the one that has a problem. If they believed in your philosophy, they'd have joined you, but they have more _sense_ than that, Magneto."

"They only know what they've seen and they are in the minority here. Most of our kind _do_ stand with me. Where they are free to be as God intended."

Steve bristled. "Then maybe you need to pander to your own country, because doing this on American soil looks like a threat more than it is a statement. Go back to Genosha. That _is_ helpful to mutants; that's why the Avengers haven't stopped anyone from-"

"The Avengers have perpetrated the way that mutants have been treated," Erik said. "I don't need to listen to you, Captain. Not when I speak for a larger, _growing_ group. Not when the only time you _help_ mutant kind is when it benefits _you_."

"You don't speak for us," Nate said. "Since when is terrorizing the government _speaking up for mutants_? All you're doing is putting a target on us."

"If you'd like a target, I'm sure that can be arranged," Erik said. "As well it should be for anyone - even _mutants_ that stand against our interests."

"Hey." Kate was livid as she twirled an arrow - wooden, since they'd known who they were coming after - in her fingers. "You _know_ better. You _know_ the history. You _can't_ threaten to put a target-"

"I know that the X-Men allowed the mutants of this country and beyond to fall to the wayside with no one to speak in their defense or to offer them help as they once did. I know that the Avengers turned a blind eye while many of the X-Men were murdered _brutally_ because they simply didn't _care_ ," Erik said in a booming voice. "And I know that the X-Men that survived turned their back on Charles Xavier's dream for a better world for _all_ mankind when they walked away leaving all of mutant kind in the lurch with no hope for anything but a slow and painful genocide."

" _Shut up_ ," Rachel said, losing her temper as she reached out and tossed something at him - it didn't matter to her what it was, though since she was reacting in anger and not training, it ended up being a car, which Erik dealt with easily enough.

"You claim to take after your father," Erik said in a low undertone. "Yet you have no planning. No preparation. No _thought_. Your actions are purely emotional and I've seen them before, young lady. You are your mother's daughter right down to the bone. So let me impart on you a word of warning. If you stay the course - this same course that your mother once took - you will either meet the same tragic end or doom all of us with you."

Rachel was almost shaking - and Nate reached out to her mind to bolster her while Jan flew closer to Erik, spitting mad. "Listen," she said. "We're trying to give you a chance to walk away. But if you say one more word to those kids-"

"A chance to do what? Hide? Cower behind closed doors hoping and praying that no one comes knocking? I've done that before and I'll never do it again. Not to those that would hold themselves above _my people._ "

"You've said your piece," Nate said evenly. "You don't have to spit on the X-Men's legacy while you're at it."

Erik gestured widely. "There _is_ no legacy from the X-Men anymore. The only purpose they've served as far as humanity is concerned was to leave a gravemarker for the humans to admire."

"You're wrong," Kate said. "But I don't expect you to see that when you're too busy being a megalomaniac to see the _family_ they left behind picking up the pieces. You just see what you want to see."

"I came to make my intentions known and your arrival was only meant to try and shout me down and attack," Erik said. "Typical of the Avengers right down the line." He floated a little higher in the air. "No matter. My message will be heard by those that will act on it. Soon enough, we'll see where mutant kind stands - if they choose to cower and hide - or embrace the dream that Charles failed to see come to fruition."

For a long moment, the Avengers were quiet as Erik stormed off, and then Kate turned to Nate and kissed him hard. "That guy is so full of crap - you know that, right?" She looked up at Rachel. "Both of you know that, right?"

"Yeah," Rachel said in a breath before she finally shook herself out of it. _But you know this just means we need to pull out those uniforms, right?_

 _Yeah, no way are we letting_ him _have the final say on what the X-Men stand for._

 _Let's talk to James,_ Kate said. _But even if he's not fully on board…_

 _Yeah. It's time,_ Nate agreed. _If Magneto's trying to speak for mutants, the world needs the X-Men._


	37. Magic Tricks

James and Billy had, of course, seen the broadcast from James' lab at the top of Stark tower. "Oh boy," James said dryly. "Your Grampa's making headlines again."

"Yeah, he does that," Billy said, leaning back on James's chest on the couch that James sometimes crashed on when he had a long project.

"That makes him the world's worst helicopter parent, you know that right?"

"Are you sure? You're the one who's constantly worried about your dad…"

"Total reverse of whatever this is," James said, giving him a little squeeze. "Besides, mine's got anxiety from this mess, not … world domination."

"Fair," Billy said, leaning back enough to kiss James' cheek. "You've got your 'I'm going to do something about this' look. Usually, that means a date or some adventure, but this time…"

"It can mean that too. We were going to do that anyhow this weekend, but … In a little bit, my siblings _plus Kate_ are going to come through that door all worked up and frothing to tell me I need to hurry up and pull my head out - or something to that effect." James let out a breath and leaned his head on Billy's. "As much as I get it, and have to admit … it's _time_ , I still don't know if I want to show up all … me."

"Nothing wrong with being you," Billy pointed out.

"Except, you know … _there is_. Everyone has the same reaction to me that your grandfather or your mom had - to a lesser degree, but still," James said. It was the first time he'd admitted that he actually did _care_ about what people around him thought. Even Magneto to some degree. And Billy honestly hadn't expected it.

"Well, Tommy gets that sometimes from people who knew my Uncle Pietro. He died from that same stupid mess, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. It's different though. You both have nothing but good stuff to say about Pietro. My mom hardly exists on paper and I don't even know what to _think_ about Logan, okay?"

Billy frowned and turned so that he was looking at James better. "Wasn't he an X-Man _and_ an Avenger?"

"Yeah, but he was also a killer and into black ops _and_ mercenary work. He was a living, breathing _weapon_ , Billy. Both of them were. So what does that really mean when everyone tells me how much I remind them of him? Is that their way of saying that's where I'm headed, too?"

"Absolutely not." Billy watched him for a long time before he took a deep breath, held it, and took both of James' hands in his. "So," he said slowly, "you know how my powers let me sort of… bend reality?"

"Yeah," James said slowly, frowning as he watched him. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Well, what if we peeked at your past?" Billy asked, holding James' gaze for a long moment as James really processed what Billy was saying.

"Wait. You've been thinking about this for a while," James said finally. "Haven't you?"

Billy flushed. "Well, yeah. I kinda wanted to do something, you know, spectacular to tell you… you know. How much I -" Billy swallowed hard and blushed all the way to the tips of his ears. "- _you know_."

James smirked and shook his head. "No. No idea. What are you talking about?"

"Oh, shut up," Billy said, smiling brightly as the blush receded. "My point is that I think I can do it without time travel."

"That's a bonus," James said, arching one eyebrow higher, though he wasn't sure what exactly Billy was proposing yet.

"So, I was listening to Betsy talk about our how our minds hold all sorts of details that we can't readily recall, and I _think_ all I have to do is work up a spell to look at the memories you don't even know you have," Billy said. "I was going to wait and do it for your birthday because you _are_ crazy hard to shop for, so ... I had to come up with something kind of special."

James watched Billy in quiet admiration until it was clear Billy was growing uncomfortable under his studious gaze with no comment to clue him as to what James was thinking. "You're _really_ sweet, you know that?"

Billy flushed again. "Yeah, well, so're you."

James leaned in to steal a kiss that went on for a little longer than he'd initially intended, resting his forehead against Billy's when the kiss met its natural end. "You know I trust you, right?"

"Kiss like that and I might not think straight enough to do it," Billy said, grinning crookedly before James went for another kiss just for the fun of it and to get a laugh out of Billy - which it did.

"Alright Romeo," James said when the kiss broke. "If you think you've got a way to help me, you know I'll be eternally grateful. And if not, we'll just have to slip out and grab a bite alone then find a quiet spot to pick up with this again. You know. If you can't think straight."

Billy grinned crookedly. "Okay, stay still," he said before he rested his hands so that the tips of his fingers were at James' temples. Billy recomposed himself and started to chant quietly, his eyes glowing brightly - and the next thing James knew, he was watching his memories from when he was barely old enough to walk, only he was seeing it from the perspective of an outsider.

There was a lot more for James to see than he'd thought would be there - and though there were a ton of memories that were buried deeply in his subconscious, not a one of them was of what his parents were like on the job. Not one. He wasn't sure what he'd expected, but no one had told him about them like _this._ He wasn't prepared to see the level of _affection_ that was clearly so commonplace between his parents and himself - or even just to watch _them_ interacting with each other and so obviously deeply in love. When he heard them laughing while the tiny version of himself was wrapped up between them, he held his breath and just soaked it up for as long as the memory and the peeks lasted, burning every moment into his mind as he tried to hold on to them tighter. The feeling welling up in his chest nearly choked him as longing came back like a tidal wave at what he'd missed out on by losing them.

Scott had been right. The files and folders - dossiers - they didn't hold a candle at _all_ to the people they were, and though Scott had tried to tell him, his retelling had fallen short of what James had just seen himself. When the spell had run its course, James was openly shocked and clearly emotional.

Billy didn't move for a long moment as he watched James carefully. He was concerned that something had gone wrong in tampering with his memories, but as soon as he managed to _accidentally_ draw James' attention, James leaned forward to curl into Billy and just - hold on with a whispered out 'thank you' that was barely loud enough for Billy to hear.

"Oh. Okay." Billy curled protectively around James, still half afraid that he'd done something to _hurt_ him. "I - I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to-"

"No," James said softly. "I wasn't expecting … _any of that_. They were _amazing._ There was _so_ much love. I didn't- _I didn't know._ "

"So…"

"So I think you would have liked them," James said.

Billy smiled at that and kissed the side of James' head while he was still holding on and trying to put it into perspective. "Then I'm glad you got to see them," he said. When James had started to get a handle on his emotions, Billy started a kiss that would likely have progressed into something else had the other kids not shown up right then.

"Oh. We can come back," Kate said, thumbing over her shoulder. "Or we can get you to sign off on the uniform and then come back?"

The two boys sat back from each other and James covered his face with one hand for a long moment as he got himself reined in again, though Nate was watching him with a concerned expression.

And while outwardly, he looked like a mess, it was obvious to James that there was really only one path ahead of him. "Let me see it," James finally said in a sigh with one hand held out.

Kate grinned crookedly and rushed over to show him what she and Jan had drawn up. It was a more updated version of Logan's old uniform, but tailored to James' taller build with an updated cowl that didn't have points that were as tall or obvious as Logan's had been.

While James studied it and Kate jiggled her foot waiting for his reaction to it, Nate and Rachel shared a concerned look and held a very private conversation. Rachel had been watching Billy for a while now, and seeing her little brother so emotional had her on the defensive. Clearly, Nate needed to know everything Rachel did - and all she suspected as well. Their brother had never been overly shy about showing his emotions, but this was beyond normal for him, and they didn't like it.

Kate, however, seemed to be doing her best to ignore the clear evidence that James had been crying. "Now, I know it kind of looks like it's just the same thing, but we've got accents here and here," Kate said. "And the yellow is _way_ less garish…"

"You know, I actually _like_ the brighter yellow, but … no yellow. Not yet. I'm not ready for it," James said, then cleared his throat, recovering quicker now that he had something to focus on. "As much as I love this look, I'm going to have a big enough target on my back when I step out in something with stripes anyhow. And yellow was _his_." James' voice broke on the last word, though it wasn't clear to anyone if it was the usual upset concerning Logan or something else until James got his emotions under control and finished what he was thinking while holding Billy's gaze. "I need to earn that."

But Kate pressed on, striking while the iron was hot. "Okay, well, we can change the colors and drop the stripes no problem," Kate said.

" _Keep the stripes_. I want them. Just make it red and black," James said, then pointed to the head. "And use a similar cut to the original cowl. I don't want my whole face covered like this design. As stupid as it sounds, I don't want any idiots thinking I _am_ Logan and there is some difference at my chin and jawline."

"Okay, so… kind of a mix between Wolverine and Cyclops' uniforms… with some James flair in there… I like it," Kate said, smiling and already making notes on the design as James continued to look it over with her.

"What do you think?" James asked Billy, taking the drawing from Kate so Billy could see it better, though that had Nate and Rachel sharing a _look_.

"I think you'll look great," Billy said with a growing smile as he took the sketch. "Red is my favorite color, so… I'm in favor."

"I just don't want to take yellow and screw it up," James said.

"You _wouldn't_ ," Billy promised, though that was one step too far for the other two Summers kids.

"This is way more input than you've given since we _started_ ," Rachel said, obviously concerned with how upset James still looked, and wondering what had happened before they'd come in. After all, it had been years that the Summers kids had tried to get their brother on board. This felt too easy after all the fight they'd gotten from him. "What happened here?"

"Do you know _why_ I've avoided this?" James asked turning her way and flat ignoring the fact that his lashes and cheeks were wet still.

"Because you don't want to kill Dad?"

"No. Well - yes. But it's because the second it makes mainstream anything that I'm alive and anything like my parents, all hell is going to break loose," James said. "Think about the cabin when we were kids - when it got broken into by special ops or all the times we had to split up when we were little - all the bouncing around I did with Tony and Natasha and Kitty - the month long stretches you spent with Alex or Storm. All of it was to hide from those people that want to use mutants as weapons. Those organizations aren't gone. I read the reports from back then and I go over them now as soon as Natasha does. They wanted us. Not Dad. _Us_. I don't know what they'd do to you and Nate, but I _do_ know what they'd do to me. I've known that since before I got my abilities, and since I started to heal it's been like I've been waiting for them to find me and kill me or worse ... and I'm very sure I don't want metal replacing my bones and someone controlling me. And they would."

"But someone has to stop them," Rachel said, glad to hear what James had been holding on to for so long, but also unsure of where that was taking him. "Or they'll go after other kids."

"Why do you think I'm going along with it now?" James said. "It's a risk I have to take while certain people try to start a fresh war. If I don't … I might as well just hand myself over to one of the weapons programs, because they won't stop looking for me _or_ you."

"Well, I'm glad you're on board," Nate said, shoving James in the shoulder as he leaned over the couch and kissed Kate's cheek. "Wouldn't feel the same without all three of us."

"Just start taking bets on how long before they start calling me by Logan's codename," James said dryly.

"Well, what do you want to use?" Kate asked, genuinely curious.

"I don't know," James said. "But I know what will happen and how it'll end up anyhow, and knowing what I do now about Logan… I don't want to fall short of what he was. I know I don't measure up to him."

"You won't know that until you see what you can do," Rachel said. "I know I'm _trying_ to live up to my mom. No reason you can't live up to him."

"We're not going to let them get to you," Nate said, clearly upset by what James had said. Yes, Scott had warned them for years, but it had sort of meshed together for Nate. Hearing how James had processed it explained _so much_ on how reluctant his big brother had been and for the first time in his conscious memory, _really_ , Nate could feel the weight of the threat James had been concerned with.

"I'm not afraid of that so much anymore," James said. "Eventually they'll try anyhow. Let them come."

"Yeah, we'll take 'em down," Kate agreed with a crooked grin.

"But - if we're going to do this," James said as he reached over and took Billys' hand. "Billy and Tommy said they wanted in too." He turned to Billy. "And I sincerely hope you won't hold it against me if I end up stabbing Grampneto."

"How about the rule is you don't stab him unless there's no other way to deal with him," Billy said. "He's actually not terrible when he's on Genosha."

"If you knew how much it hurt to use the stupid claws, you'd know that part goes without saying," James told him, then squeezed his hand. "I don't want to hurt _anyone_. And I don't want to upset your family. Not really. Tick _him_ off, sure. But I don't want to hurt him and I promise I won't stab him or anyone else unless they try to take out one of us first. Anything short of that and the claws won't even come out."

"Then I think we're on the same page," Billy said, before he yanked the sketchbook back from Kate and turned to a fresh page. "So I had some ideas for _me_ , if you're taking notes…and part of it will involve _keeping_ my royal cape."

* * *

On Genosha, the shockwaves from Magneto's foray to the States was being felt by much of the population. Years of isolation and a major separation from even their closest neighbors left them feeling like a giant target any time Magneto stepped away from the island and started his speeches and sabre shaking.

It had been a while since he'd bothered to go to the States, but considering that both of his grandsons were attending school there, it was really just a matter of time before he'd turned his attention that way. And with his attention focused on the States, it was only a matter of time before that came back to bite the citizens of Genosha. They all knew it. They all were afraid of it. Except, of course, the royal family and their guards.

But for those outside of the palace, it honestly wasn't rosy. Supplies were in high demand for anything imaginable. Yes, the population was fed and safe - and homelessness was non existent, but that didn't mean they were happy. They had enough to survive, and they were away from humans mistreating them, but aside from being able to use their powers and wander the streets freely, but they also couldn't _leave_ Genosha. That was something reserved for royalty. Not even former X-Men were allowed that liberty.

Which was in large part why Bobby Drake often found himself in trouble. He kept looking for ways to get away from Genosha - even if it was only for a moment or two - but that simply wasn't possible. And every time he was caught trying to leave - which was often - he'd end up spending time in Genosha's prisons.

He'd lost muscle tone over the years from spending so much time locked up - though he was getting to be impressive with his powers considering he spent every available moment practicing when he was out of lock up - away from the dampeners that kept the prisoners where they were supposed to be. It was just luck that Kitty had managed to keep _out_ of the prisons with all the tech she'd been hoarding and developing just so they could find out what was happening in the world outside of the island nation.

So when they saw for sure that Magneto was stirring up the Avengers … and saw that some of the newer anonymous young members were obviously Scott's kids …

"Would you look at that," Bobby said, eyebrows high on his head. "That's _got_ to be Rachel."

"Oh yeah," Kitty agreed, nodding her head as the camera zoomed in on the young Avengers on screen. "She's been on the team for a while. Nate is the new face now."

"He shouldn't be old enough for that," Bobby said, though he was smiling at the screen. He'd been in the jail for over six months. He hadn't seen Nate's debut with the Avengers, but he was incredibly proud. Though after watching for a moment, his smile began to slip. "We should have been there to help them."

"They have the Avengers to teach them. They'll be fine," Kitty said as she sat down next to him.

"Yeah. Against like … Hydra or AIM. Not _Magneto_." Bobby shook his head. "What's he so tweaked about anyhow?"

"The princes are going to Xavier's," Kitty said. "And Erik doesn't like the way the rest of the world works."

"So something he'd probably let slide if his precious little crown princes weren't out in the middle of it," Bobby said with a sigh. "Great."

"Well, at least they're not X-Men, right?" Kitty said, though her tone was entirely down as they continued to watch the broadcast. "The professor never would have allowed it to get this bad."

"No, he wouldn't have," Bobby agreed as silence fell between them. His sense of humor had been beaten down by a vicious cycle of imprisonment and trying to stomach the 'all is well' propaganda that the citizens of Genosha were used to. "I miss them."

Kitty nodded quietly. "Yeah. Me too," she said under her breath as the broadcast continued softly until Bobby got up and flipped the switch to turn it off.

"Come on. I just got out of jail again. We should take one night to celebrate before I figure out how to get us off this island."

Kitty smiled to herself. "Right. Might want to wait until Erik is going to be off the island."

"Which would be great if we knew when he'd be gone."

"Um … holidays are coming. That should be enough time to plan. The Guthries can keep an eye out for when he leaves, and I know that he's already planning to be the one to go get the boys," Kitty said. "Alex told me."

Bobby nodded slowly. "Then we have a little time."

* * *

"Has Jan said anything about the um … _project_ she was working on?" Billy asked as he and James walked out of the subway close to where the Summers _actual_ home in Brooklyn - though James still wasn't taking him to the house - but Billy had wanted to see some of the sights that Lorna had told him about. All of those sights of course, were much closer to the Summers house than they were to the Barton's apartment building.

"She's working on it," James promised. "But she's got to do the work when no one will bother her and get nosy." He gestured to the coffee shop two blocks down from the house to direct Billy on where they were headed. He was entirely sure that Lorna had tried to push them toward the right neighborhood to bust James out, but he hadn't been ungrounded often enough to consider getting the clearance from his dad to bring Billy by. Yet. He wanted to, of course, but there was an order of getting things done and pushing Scott before the mood was right was a sure fire way to sink himself.

"Yeah, but maybe I'm looking forward to seeing how they look," Billy laughed with a crooked smile. "Especially since it's still too cold for swimwear."

"You're relentless," James laughed before they got into line to order. They were fairly quiet as they made their way through the line since this was one of the more conservative neighborhoods in Brooklyn, comparatively. So at least until they got down to the park by the river, they were going to play it fairly cool.

Or that was the plan. Until they stepped out of the cafe, smiling and laughing at a quiet private joke only to stop dead when Rabbi Cohen called out to James. "Are you ready to let me set you up with a nice girl, young Mr. Meuller?"

James spun on the spot, his smile firmly in place as the Rabbi got close enough to clap a hand on his shoulder. "Hi, Rabbi Cohen," James said, utterly out of his depth on how to get him to stop his usual teasing. But he knew that Toby Cohen would just get worse about it if he didn't say something. So, he decided that he'd try to buy a little time if he could. "Have you talked to Dad at all lately?"

"A little," the Rabbi said, still grinning, though he turned to Billy for a moment, just as approachable and friendly as ever. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend? I don't think I've gotten to meet any of the kids you hang out with yet."

Billy was plainly amused and couldn't stop himself from joining in on the teasing, curious on which way he would get to pick on him. "Yeah, introduce me, James," Billy said with a grin.

James gave Billy a look, but turned back to Rabbi Cohen looking perfectly relaxed. "Rabbi, this is my boyfriend, Billy," James said. "He wanted to see the bridge from the park."

Rabbi Cohen blinked a few times as he looked between the boys, who were both smiling politely as they reached out to hold hands. "Well. At least tell me he's _Jewish_."

"I am," Billy said with a grin as he smiled wider at Rabbi Cohen and shifted his coffee so he could shake his hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

Rabbi Cohen grinned at that and burst out laughing. "Well good! One of you Mueller kids listened to me at least! I'm going to expect a better meeting with the two of you after Hanukkah!"

"Sure thing, Rabbi," James called out, though Cohen was still clearly entertained and Billy was _beaming_ as the two of them continued to the bridge. " _Chag urim sameach._ "

"Good! Keep teaching him, Billy," Rabbi Cohen shouted as Billy broke into a laugh and put his arm around James' back.

"I like him," Billy laughed.

"Of course you do," James said with a chuckle.

Their discussion fell short when the Brooklyn Bridge came into view - and Billy let out a delighted sound on getting a fresh view of the city. It was exactly what he'd wanted to do before the school break and he was riding a high from the little encounter with the rabbi. It was moments like this that made it indescribably hard to keep telling his grandfather _anything_ about the Summers family - and he hoped that Erik hadn't noticed how little he was saying about them in particular, though he doubted that Erik would let it slide once they were in person.

But that wasn't supposed to be the case until the following day - and he had a date with his sweetheart who had just introduced him to his rabbi. Things were looking up as far as Billy was concerned.


	38. Ready Or Not ...

Erik had been patient with matters concerning his grandsons, and he'd tried to give the world a chance to come to see sense, but it had been more trying than he cared to admit. Especially with both of his grandsons out of his easy reach fending for themselves in a world dominated by humans. Because of that alone, he was more than happy to insist on being the one to retrieve the two of them for the holidays. There was no reason, after all, for the boys to be stuck at the school with orphans and those who had been sent away from their families. No reason for them to be counted with the otherwise unloved teenagers that had no ties to anyone but the staff at Xaviers.

And he could use the time that they would take returning to Genosha to talk away from outside influences and anyone that might be listening in.

What he wasn't expecting to see when he appeared at Xavier's School for the Gifted, however, was Thomas barely acknowledging his presence as he and Ororo's demonic looking daughter had a less than polite kiss goodbye. Or more accurately, a series of drawn out, near makeout session worthy kisses. He controlled the smirk, only because it wasn't _dignified_ to do such things in public, though he had to admit that he was pleased to see Thomas making the most out of his time in New York.

As the three of them headed off to the airport where Erik's private jet waited, he couldn't help but notice that William was fidgeting with his collar and somewhat avoiding his gaze. He looked toward Thomas and raised an eyebrow in a silent question, which of course was answered almost immediately.

"He's just trying to be secretive about his new _boyfriend_ ," Tommy said with a wave and a broad grin even as Billy swore at him. "Nice guy. Definitely not looking to raise his social status like the last one."

" _Tommy_ ," Billy said from between his teeth. "Shut. Up."

"He's not distracting you too much, is he?" Erik said to Billy, trying to ignore Tommy's amusement for the moment. He knew better than to push on such a delicate matter if he wanted the chance to look into this young man, after all.

"No," Billy said, blushing bright red high on his cheeks. "He's got his own commitments away from the school. He doesn't take much of my time at all."

"I don't know, the beard burn says otherwise," Tommy cackled, earning himself a death glare from Billy. "Oh, relax. You haven't even been seeing him for that long. No reason to be all …" Tommy held his brother's gaze and grinned wider. "... _growly_."

"Your mother didn't mention that you were seeing someone," Erik said, brushing by Tommy's delighted laughter at the look on Billy's face. If he was that embarrassed and Tommy that entertained, then he definitely wanted to know who it was taking up Wiliam's time. And that wouldn't be easy information to learn if the boy was being defensive. "Is he a mutant?"

"Yes. He is. But we've only been able to go out on a few dates," Billy answered, trying not to look at Erik as he lied through his teeth. "Schedules … he's in the city … you know … it's not too serious."

"Yes, I'm sure your powers make _scheduling_ difficult," Erik said as he smiled to himself and nodded - and Tommy looked like Christmas had come early. Still, Erik was determined to find out more, he'd let it go for now, just to let the boy's defenses drop. Patience was the key here - particularly after the last few young men that had come after Billy. If he was honestly interested, Erik knew that sooner or later, Billy would slip up and say the boy's name. He simply had to pay attention.

But for now, while they were alone, Erik planned to find out the finer details of the school - the staff - and all that he could about the Avengers. It would be harder to pick their brains when they were back on Genosha with Wanda hovering. So Erik settled in and simply started asking questions that he hoped Billy would jump to answer - if nothing else, than to avoid the uncomfortable questions about this new young man. He'd use that as leverage to get answers until he _couldn't_. That was the best option for pressure at the time, after all. No reason to overlook it.

* * *

Billy had been positively relieved to leave Genosha after a long holiday of barely avoiding his grandfather's awkward questions and gentle inquiries about who his boyfriend was. He knew that was going to be bad when it finally came out, but he still wanted to avoid letting it come out as long as possible.

They'd barely been back to Westchester for an hour before he got a text from Kate all in emojis that made it very clear that he wanted to be at Jan's studio. _Now_. So, with little more encouragement than that, he looked over to see his brother and Mia saying 'hello' then simply started to focus on teleporting himself to the studio.

When he got there though, he had to do a little double take - not only at Kate, Nate, and Rachel _in uniform_ \- but at the fact that Jan was putting the finishing touches on James' red on black striped uniform. He realized what was happening just in time to hear James quietly ask Jan a question about the fitment. "Does it really need to be this tight?" James asked, to which Kate, Billy, and Jan all answered at once with their own versions of 'yes' that had Nate and Rachel _highly_ amused.

"It's part of the gig," Jan said, grinning to herself. "You have nothing to be self conscious about either. You're built _so much_ like your dad was, after all."

Rachel cringed, expecting the usual bristle from her little brother, but was pleasantly surprised when James simply looked up at the mirror and nodded to himself. "Guess so," he said before he let out a shaky breath.

"You might need a haircut," Jan suggested as she reached up and took over on pulling the cowl down to adjust it, too. "Or not." She stepped back and the grin started to grow as she nodded to herself. "Oh yeah. There's a look I haven't seen in way too long."

James turned his head toward his siblings, then followed, turning the rest of his body to face them. "How ridiculous is it? Honestly."

"Not even a little bit," Rachel said, grinning. "And it's about time. We've waited forever - and it's _perfect._ " She came forward and took a hold of his arm to pull him over then wrap him up in a tight hug. "We're going to be _amazing,_ little brother."

Rachel had an updated version of the uniform she wore for the Avengers, as did Nate and Kate - though for the X-Men uniforms, she'd taken a slightly more edgy approach by making all of the detail lines pop with _glowing_ color. Rachel's accents were green, Nate's were blue, and Kate's were purple, of course, but James' was red and it gave the whole look an almost dangerous angle with the group of them barely glowing at the colored lines of their uniforms.

"Okay, you next," Jan said, snapping her fingers at Billy. "I can't get my team picture until you're all dressed and ready to go."

"All of us?"

"Oh, totally," Jan confirmed, nodding her head as she led him over to get changed. "Tell your brother he's _slow_ in getting here. Make sure Mia comes too. I want to see all of you in person, ready to go. It took me forever to find the right shade of magenta for Mia's accents."

"You got it," Billy laughed as he texted Tommy and pulled his shirt off even before he saw how well Jan had kept to the sketches they'd come up with. "This is amazing."

* * *

There were very few people that had Scott's cell phone number, so when a call came in from a number he didn't know, he honestly didn't know what to make of it. Especially when his cautious 'hello' was met by an enthusiastic Kitty on the other side.

"You didn't tell me you were getting the team back together!"

"Kitty?" Scott shook his head. "What are you talking about? How did you even get this number?"

"Come on, Scott, I was your tech girl for how long?" Kitty said. "I can get your number. But that's not the important part - the important part is the team! Together! How long have you been planning this?"

"I _haven't_ ," Scott said, though he was already pulling up the news. "I haven't touched a uniform since Graydon Creed. You know that."

"Well … then who are these guys? Do you know them?"

Scott frowned as he found the news footage showing a group of kids wearing x's on their uniforms as they rescued civilians from a building Magneto had trashed. Considering the powersets at play, the fact that they had a girl with swords that he _knew_ had to be Kate delineating her skillsets on the different teams… and the fact that he recognized Tommy's voice when the reporter asked what they were doing, Scott breathed out a curse as he turned up the volume.

_We're the X-Men! Magneto wants to speak for mutants, he's going to have to step back. Some of us don't like being labeled terrorists like he is, mkay?_

Scott massaged a spot on his forehead over his nose. "Those… those would be my kids. Apparently."

"You didn't know?" Kitty asked a lot quieter.

"Kitty, do you think I'd let - Hell, James is wearing _stripes!"_

"Yeah, he looks great," she said, the little smile plain to hear. "But that's … I mean, as amazing as that is, that's really not why I called."

"Oh God, now what?"

"We've got big trouble with Magneto," Kitty said. "He's finally snapped, and I don't know what caused it, but he's going into the dangerous … floaty zone."

Scott let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know what it was," he admitted. "He came to the school."

"What's wrong with the school?" Kitty asked. "I thought Storm was running it. She's great with the kids."

"She is," Scott agreed. "And the kids there love her. But she's … we've been showing the kids how to control their powers so they can blend in. Keep their heads down. Avoid another _disaster_. And Magneto didn't take well to it."

"Oh, man," Kitty said in a flat tone.

"I know. I know we aren't living up to everything we stood for, but Kitty, it's kept them _alive_. No one has destroyed the school, no one is calling for extermination…"

"I know, I know, I just … I didn't realize … oh, crap," she almost whispered.

"Yeah," Scott said. "I almost can't blame him. I mean, my own kids are rebelling into _X-Men_. How far off the path have we gotten?"

"Okay, but Scott - he's been looking for a reason, if I'm being totally honest," Kitty said.

"I thought things were alright on Genosha. Alex hasn't had any complaints."

"Right. Because he's married to one of the _princesses_. He's the next best thing to a royal himself and he doesn't _see_ what it's like outside of his charmed life in the palace. That's part of why Wanda wanted to get the boys out of there. They were getting spoiled _rotten_."

"The boys are alright," Scott defended. "Billy's dating James, even."

"Wait - _what?_ Okay, I didn't see _that_ coming," Kitty said under her breath.

"Tell me about it. But they work."

"Yeah, that …. Probably won't sit will with Erik either, to be honest," Kitty said. "But I was calling because it's going south here. And we need to do something to stop him before he kicks the wrong hornet nest."

Scott sighed as he sat down. "How bad is it, Kitty? I can pull some strings for an evacuation, but we'd have to fight him on it."

"That's just it, I don't know if you can get everyone out," she said.

"Why not?"

"Well, outside of the obvious _millions_ of people here, the fact remains that Erik would lose his _mind_ if Genosha emptied. No one outside of his family is _allowed_ to leave."

Scott frowned harder the more he heard. "You wouldn't be calling if you didn't already have an idea."

"We have to take him down," Kitty said. "But he doesn't _trust_ anyone near him. He's completely paranoid. We need to figure out how to get someone close."

Scott held his breath for a long moment. Ten years ago, he wouldn't have hesitated, but now… he waited until he'd gone over several other options in his head and found himself back on that same idea. "I could do it," he said. "It would take time, but… I could do it."

"Are you sure?"

"He's not going to consider me much of a threat, Kitty," Scott pointed out. "I haven't had my powers for years. I stay away from the school _and_ the Avengers unless I'm with the kids. I'm as close to a neutral party as you can get from an outside perspective. And he's already chewed me up and down about the school. He had some good points; I wouldn't be lying if I said I agreed with some of what he said."

Kitty was quiet for a long while. "We need to work something out," she said slowly. "Make a plan …"

"Kitty, he's going to end up fighting my kids if they keep wearing those uniforms."

"So try to get them to stop that," she said.

"What do you think I've been doing for ten years?"

"Right. Something must have gotten to them, though."

"I don't know," Scott said. "I know Rachel and I fought when she wanted to join the Avengers, and Nate wore me down until _he_ could join, too. They've been wanting to make a difference for a while now."

"And James just … what? Came out of the woodwork?" Kitty asked with a suspicious tone.

"Came out of a couple closets at once, apparently," Scott said dryly.

"Very funny," she said. "I just … you know Billy's powerset, right? Are you sure this is on the level?"

"I've seen the two of them together from the very beginning," Scott said in a tone that made it clear he knew why Kitty was asking - and that he'd run down that possibility already and proven it wrong in his own mind at least. "It started very organically. I don't think Billy _made_ this happen. If I did -"

"Okay. Good … okay. I'll trust you on that. You know your son better than anyone. I haven't met Billy more than a couple of times though. I don't know him. I had to put it out there. So lets figure out how to do this, okay? I'll call you back when I can get a little time. Think it over, please."

"Okay. See if you can find a way for me to end up talking with Erik, even if it's just a visit to the school. I need to get in his ear if I want to have a shot at all."

"Hey, I'll call if I find out he's going to go floating over to the school even," Kitty said. "Like I said he's _not_ happy with a lot of things around those kids."

Scott let out a sigh. "Alright. I'll… talk to my kids. And I'll think of a good argument for Erik on why I'd be willing to side with him. All I've got right now is 'desperate dad'."

"Which considering how the past ten, fifteen years have gone? That might be your best bet."

"Right. Sell him a line on how I'm worried the world will tear them apart like they did us… hell, that's not even a line."

"Pretty sure that's spot on," Kitty said.

"Okay. Let me know next time he's in Westchester."

"Will do," Kitty said. "And Scott? Take it easy on them. Their hearts are in the right places if they're stepping out like _that_."

Scott sighed. "Yeah, I know. Their hearts are _always_ in the right places. Doesn't make them any less…" He trailed off. "I'll talk to you later."

With that, Scott hung up, his own thoughts echoing in his head for a good long while as he tried to wrap his mind around everything. It had been so long since he'd had anything to do with this particular fight, but he remembered how Magneto could be, how he could steamroll anyone in his path. And he didn't doubt that if Kitty was calling from Genosha to ask for _help_ , it was a serious situation. Kitty and Bobby had quietly been handling problems on Genosha for a long time now; he knew that much from Alex…

He sat down and ran both hands through his hair - and stayed that way more or less until the kids came home.

"Hey dad," James called out, perfectly casually as he tossed his keys on the counter. "Brought home Chinese if you're interested."

Scott tried to keep his temper as he got up and went to where the kids were in the kitchen unloading boxes of takeout. "I saw the news," he said flatly.

"Figured that would happen," James said under his breath.

"What were you _thinking_?" Scott asked sharply, looking at all three of them in turn. "You _know_ the X-Men left those uniforms - that name - behind for a _reason_. You can't just go out there putting a giant target on your- _James_ , do you know how many organizations in the world saw-"

"Sixty two," James said. "Give or take. That's how many have programs that Natasha's been able to find anyhow. Might be more after this, honestly." He didn't sound pleased, but he wasn't alarmed either.

"And you just announced yourselves to the world!" Scott narrowed his eyes, especially when none of them looked sorry. "You can't _do_ this - after everything that - the _precautions_ \- the work _everyone_ went through! You _know_ \- you can't risk everything like this!"

"Do you know how long it's been since Warren was out to fly?" Nate asked, perfectly calm, as though he'd been waiting for this for years, and in actuality, he had. "Or how much he wants to be able to _live_ again? How much he misses all the good you used to do with the team?"

"Or what about all the people looking at the school again as it gets bigger?" Rachel pressed when Scott frowned. "They're not backing off just because we're hiding. They're looking at it because there's so _many_ mutants asking for sanctuary."

"The mutant birth rate is rising," James said, though his gaze was on the ground almost as if it pained him to admit it. "It has been for decades, but they're finally starting to find out what they are now. Dr. Richards has been doing everything in his power to wreck anyone developing fast track genetic tests to use on kids and newborns for years even though there's been a call for it. Tony's been pushing his contacts to squash any unconstitutional laws … and for the kids our age and younger it's still like it was when you were young. Parents are kicking their kids out over something they have no control over. The _fear_ just walking around the city is off the charts. For everyone."

"You always said the X-Men were heroes," Nate put in. "Kinda sucks to have them out of the picture now."

"We want to do what you did - what you set out to do," James said as he finally looked up to meet Scott's gaze. "It's _time_ to see Xavier's dream play out."

"You're going to get yourselves killed," Scott said. "You made these _same_ arguments to become Avengers, but now you're pulling _this_?" He gestured toward the TV in the living room playing the news. "Do you have a death wish?"

"Dad," James said, letting his shoulders drop. "You know none of us are that deep."

"You're picking a fight with _Magneto_ for your opening move," Scott said. "I know he upset you but this isn't like the games you play with Stark, James!"

"We weren't fighting Magneto," James said gently. "We were saving the people he was stomping on."

"That's the point," Rachel said in a more soothing tone. "I thought the X-Men were there to look out for anyone overlooked. You said you guys looked out for the people the Avengers didn't see. We're not trying to take on the whole world. We're just out to show _normal_ people we're not big scary bad guys." She paused. "Especially when the biggest mutant news right now is a big, scary bad guy."

"He's not a bad guy when he's home," James said quietly to Nate.

"You're biased," Nate whispered back.

"I just like it when he goes home and stays there," James admitted.

"Hear, hear," Nate said before he let out a sigh and turned back to their dad. "No one's asking you to come back, Dad. You guys already did the hard work. You showed the world what the X-Men were supposed to be and laid out the ground work for us to finish for you."

"But the world _misses_ you," Rachel said. "The team - all of it. They didn't see how good you all were until you were gone."

Scott frowned as he watched all three of them - knowing he couldn't argue against his _own_ philosophies. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath and sat down at the table with one hand on his temple. "Damn it all."

"So…." Nate said slowly, though he'd put a hand up to stop James from moving toward Scott when it was so clear to him that James was having second thoughts. He didn't need to read his brother's mind to know that he already thought they might have pushed their dad too far. And that would end up pushing James back off the team if they weren't careful. So he tried to carefully redirect both of them. "We brought dinner?"

James glanced at Nate and stepped toward Scott. He had to try and reassure their dad somehow. "We're not going to ignore your advice. But this is something all of us have been thinking about for a very long time. I promise you, I've run down every single avenue to look for a different way to handle this. _I have_. If there was another way to do it, I'd have gotten started o it already."

"The world _needs_ the X-Men, Dad," Rachel said quietly. "Maybe one day they won't anymore, but that will only happen if people aren't _scared_ to be who they are. You know it too; I know you do."

Scott didn't look up at them for a long time before he finally let out a sigh that slumped his shoulders. "Fine," he said. "But every one of you needs a panic button with a direct line to the Avengers. The _second_ something goes wrong, call them in. I mean it." He looked between the three kids. "No one knew what had happened to us because we did everything ourselves. Do _not_ make that mistake. Understood?"

"Yes," the three of them answered in unison before all of them shared a look and made their way closer to wrap their dad up in a hug.

"I'll work on integrating the panic button in the morning," James promised.

Scott nodded, wordlessly hanging onto them until he got his feet underneath himself again. "Don't go anywhere until it's done. Not in those uniforms. I can't lose you too."

"Yes, sir," James replied.

"Love you too, Dad," Rachel said.


	39. The X-Men Return

Whatever Erik had expected to come of his shaking up the world on their stance on mutants after years of relative silence, the very last thing that had come to mind was the possibility of facing his grandsons as they took up his old friend's flag. To say that Erik was shocked to see a new iteration of the X-Men reforming was an understatement in itself after the discussion he'd had with Ororo, but this …

They simply shouldn't have been there. Nothing that he'd heard from the old guard of Charles' X-Men indicated that there was even a consideration of reforming. Yet … As Erik razed a building that had been a set of offices that were central to a SHIELD operation, it wasn't the Avengers that had come to the aid of the humans inside. When he first saw the x-badge on the glowing-team members, Erik had very nearly tossed a car at them for insulting his old friend's legacy. Until he realized that there was a speedster in the mix - and a certain crown prince that he had his own plans for. It was stunning enough that for a long moment, he didn't quite realize that Ororo's daughter, Scott's children, and Logan's boy were even there. But once he saw them, he found himself pausing.

Anyone else would have found themselves squashed already.

But he couldn't do that to his own blood. And he couldn't do that to _Scott_ after all he'd already lost. So instead of doing anything more proactive, Erik simply finished what he'd come to do and quietly left as if these new X-Men hadn't even been there.

He was almost as livid as he was shocked. William had said _nothing_ to indicate that he'd even consider galavanting around like a common pawn. It had to be the influence of the Summers children. There was no other explanation. And though he wasn't sure what the response from the old X-Men were going to be, he knew, without a doubt that he would have to take the time to have a _serious_ talk with his grandsons. Especially when they were clearly keeping secrets from him.

Regardless of what Wanda and her little android thought, this was simply unacceptable behavior for his princes. And they would be dealt with accordingly. He had only taken off his helmet to make the phone call, and he didn't even need to say a word before William was rapidly explaining himself.

"I know you're angry," he said, 'And I am sorry about that, but the fact is, after seeing what things have been like here for mutants, we do need to change things. I just think … that after seeing how much they're missed that the X-Men are the answer. Not force."

"William," Erik said patiently. "Had the X-men ever been the answer, this would have been settled years ago - while you were still a child. Nothing has changed for these humans."

"But - that's where you're wrong," he replied quietly. "The rest of my team -the rest of the X-Men - they _know_ that you're not entirely wrong."

"And they've said as much to you?"

"Well … one or two has," Billy replied quietly. "But the point … listen. People here - not just mutants, but humans too … they hold the memory of the old team as something _good_ and unifying. I just think … that maybe it would be easier on mutants that aren't on Genosha if we can follow closer to that."

"Or," Erik said. "You can get them to see _sense_ and understand that their best chance of continued survival is to _join us._ " When Billy didn't answer right away, Erik continued. "You have a _duty_ to the people of Genosha, and if you truly believe that the X-Men are the way to the liberation of mutants, then the only way for that to happen is with a unified front."

Again, Billy didn't really reply, so Erik pressed on, carefully choosing his words as he informed his grandson on how to manipulate his friends into doing as Erik said.

"And a word of warning: if you lie to me or hide things from me again, I will bring you back to Genosha by any means necessary."

It wouldn't be easy to get the boys to turn these young X-men, he was sure. Especially with two telepaths already on the team, but … if they were to be saved, this would be how it would happen. And if anything happened to his grandsons, then what was left of the X-Men would pay for it.

* * *

"So, you want to know the weirdest part? I think Kate is the only one _not_ grounded out of all of us, and I'm pretty sure we could argue it's discrimination," Nate said as he let himself into James' lab with some coffee. They were _all_ grounded, limited to school and whatever commitments they already had - though it was worse for the kids at the school, who were practically on lockdown.

"You mean outside of Billy and Tommy? That doesn't surprise me one bit," James said as he worked on the tiny panic button that was to be incorporated into their uniforms. "Your sweetheart's got a circus boy for a dad, so you know …"

"She says he high-fived her when she got home," Nate said, shaking his head to himself.

James snorted at that. "Of course he did. How was Aunt Widow?"

"Worried about you, obviously, because you're her _favorite_ , but mostly glad to see the family tradition being carried on…"

He shrugged. "No I'm not," James said. "Rachel's her favorite. She has a thing about helping other redheads cause trouble."

" _Sure_ she does," Nate said as he sat down by James. "Really, though, I think they're happy about it, same as Jan. Not _all_ the adults are paranoid."

"I haven't seen anyone yet today," James said. "Or I'd give you a better cross section of what's what. Maybe they think I quit already…."

Nate tapped the side of his head. "Well, Cap's worried. That's _broadcasting_ loudly because he thinks our whole family is about to explode or something."

"He's always worried about something," James said. "Unless he gets mad at someone and just goes all … rage Cap. He's got the best 'how dare you look at them crooked' thing going on." He set his soldering gun down and turned to Nate - though that was to steal part of Nate's bagel, too. "How's Jan doing?"

"You mean besides dealing with Tony finding out his wife was secretly co-conspiring with us?" Nate asked with a crooked grin. "Actually holding up alright. Worried about Dad, obviously. And you."

"Yeah, that. I was a little concerned that might be why Tony hasn't made his usual obnoxious rounds today. I know he's going to be mad at me. "

"She's dealing with it," Nate said. "And no, I'm not sharing dirty details."

"Oh, _why_ would you go there?" James said as he made a spectacular face and let his whole body slump.

" _You_ asked."

"I didn't ask _how_ things were working out, I just said I was concerned."

"Hey, I have to know things, and now you do too," Nate said with a smirk.

"You don't think I know things anyhow?" James said, tapping his nose. " _You_ can shut it off and avoid it. I can't. You only know all the things because you're _nosy_ about it."

"Rachel's worse," Nate defended.

"She really is," James agreed before the brothers settled into a more familiar relaxed stance with their coffee and now-shared bagel. "You sticking around for a while? I was thinking about ordering up and going home a little late, but I don't know how that would work out for the old man's blood pressure, honestly."

"Yeah, you know he's not handling it well, right?" Nate said. "And he's totally shut me and Rachel out."

"Yeah, he hasn't been real open with me either," James said. "But I know if I return the favor, it'll just escalate things."

"Rachel took his phone," Nate said. "He's been talking with Kitty, apparently."

"That's interesting," James said. "I thought she was in the mutant paradise."

"From what I've seen in the twins' heads, 'paradise' is a massive misnomer."

"Is nothing sacred, Nate?" James said in a sigh.

"Hey, I get to play protective little brother sometimes," Nate defended. "He's a good guy; I just wanted to make sure, all things considered!"

"Oh yeah?" James laughed. "So you were checking him out by running through his head."

"And Tommy's," Nate said. " _That_ guy I'm watching closer. For Mia's sake."

James smiled at Nate for that. "He's hilarious. Especially if you get him all wound up and competitive."

"He also _really_ wants to score," Nate said.

"Too bad for him," James said. "Mia's not going to be that easy."

"Yeah, well, the point is, something's rotten in the state of Genosha, and I think Dad's… almost backing us up? In his way?" Nate shrugged. "Checking up on Magneto to see threat level… I think. It's hard to tell when he's also pretty darn convinced we're gonna _die_."

"Maybe it's time I asked him about Logan," James said quietly. "Might redirect him a little."

"Or give him a heart attack."

"Do you know what happened?" James asked. "I don't. All I know is 'all hell broke loose' and half the team died. I am _incredibly_ curious on what could have killed two healers. Aren't you?"

"Rachel … saw bits of it," Nate admitted slowly. "And… the thing is, even what she _has_ seen looked pretty bad. It's all… cells and collars and Ororo in a _box_."

"I still want to know," James said.

"Yeah," Nate said. "Yeah, me too. I want to know what made my mom lose it like she did."

"I love Dad, and I don't know where I'd be without him - but I still want to know what happened to my parents," James said before he let out a breath and held Nate's gaze. "Billy did a spell for me. Did you see _that_ in his head while you were measuring how evil you think he is?"

Nate paused and then nodded. "I ... figured you wouldn't want me looking at too much of that. It seemed private. So I just skimmed it over."

James nodded to himself. "He did it so I could get a chance to see what Logan was really like. I got both of them instead. It was just the memories hidden away that I was too little to really … grasp right, I guess." He tipped his chin down to his chest. "That's what really sealed it for me, you know. I don't know how many other kids got _good parents_ ripped away from them, but I'm pissed off about it."

"Yeah." Nate held his breath. "You know Rachel told me when I got my powers… I was freaked out but she told me at least I didn't have the Phoenix, right?"

James nodded. "Yeah, and I've been convinced I'm going to die anyhow since everything turned on."

"Yeah, but … the Phoenix tells you what it thinks you want and you know she can hear Mom, right?" Nate said.

"I didn't know that," James admitted, looking honestly concerned. "She didn't tell me."

"She didn't even tell Dad. I just heard it because she was freaked out and projecting around me," Nate admitted. "But … but she said Mom was proud of us, and this was back when we were still just _talking_ about being X-Men. All three of us. So I think we're doing alright."

"I hope so," James said quietly, staring at his hands for a long while. "Do you think Storm has any pictures of them? All three of them." He gave Nate a little smile. "I could show you my parents, but … I doubt you want to see tiny me."

Nate snorted. "Tell you what," he said, "one of these days, let's sit down with you, me, and Rachel, and she can show you what the Phoenix showed her of our mom, and you can show us yours. But all three of us. Considering what we're starting, I don't want to leave anyone out anymore."

"Only if she comes up with that on her own," James said. "I don't want to intrude on her at all."

"Hey, if she hears where your head's at? It's happening."

"I have to project for that," James said. "And I'm trying to give her space. I know you two have a lot of other things on your minds." He tapped on the workbench. "Anyhow. I think I have the panic button done. Take a look. Tell me if it's easy enough to work."

Nate raised both eyebrows and then grinned as he picked up the little button. "Hey, I like it," he said. "You could hide that anywhere, really. The bad guys wouldn't even know backup was coming until it was too late."

"Figured we could put it _in_ the badge," James said. "Couple on every uniform."

"More than just a fashion state-" Nate laughed. "Oh crap. Kate has me doing it now."

"Yeah, you were born into it," James snickered. "Just admit you love it."

"Didn't say I didn't love it," Nate said. "Just said I was getting sucked in."

"You'd wear purple hip holes if she asked you to," James said, laughing.

"I would not. I draw the limit _somewhere!_ "

"You so would. You could match. Twinsies."

"Shut up, James," Nate laughed.

"Or … maybe you could wear _just_ what she's got cut out. Scare the hell out of whoever we're fighting …"

"You're going to give her ideas!"

"I think I will," James said, pulling out his phone to text Kate as much. "New challenge, Squawkeye - Nate wants a uniform composed entirely of what's left from hip holes and single sleeves." He hit the send button then grinned at him. "There. Done."

"You're a horrible brother," Nate deadpanned, though he was smiling crookedly. There hadn't been a lot of time for joking around lately, so this was a welcome distraction.

James held up his phone. "We have a response already."

 _Oh, silly James. You act like that doesn't already exist just for ME. You're not invited,_ Kate replied.

_I really don't want to see it, but he brought it up. Said you couldn't make it happen._

_Lies,_ was the one-word response.

_I'm a little worried on where a panic button might go though, so I'll leave that to the experts._

_Glad to know you recognize genius when you see it._

_Stretching, princess._

_There you are. I knew it burned to compliment me._

_I just don't like to lie. Even for a good cause. We're in the lab if you want to see your sweetheart before he's back home and grounded. Though I do have the panic buttons done so …_

_Oooh! On my way!_

"She just can't get enough of you, Nate," James said, shaking his head.

"You're such a pain, you know that?" Nate said, though he was laughing.

"That's why you come here, isn't it?" James said, pocketing one of the buttons. "This one goes to Dad to look over."

"We should give one to Dad to _keep_ ," Nate said thoughtfully. "I mean, with us stepping out, there could be a backlash and if we show him we know there could be trouble _anywhere_ …"

"That's what I said. Kinda. If we give it to him and tell him to keep it, he'll probably get huffy, but if it's 'to look over'," he said, making air quotes, "then he'll _have_ it."

" _I'd_ feel better if he took it with him everywhere, seeing as he's worried about _Genosha_."

"Then _you_ talk him into it," James said. "He won't listen to me and he likes you best."

"It's because I'm amazing," Nate said with a shrug.

"It's because you're not Phoenixing or wearing _stripes._ And … you're the baby. Spoiled."

"You're never gonna let that die, are you?"

"Nope. If I gotta listen to the 'middle kid' crap, you're stuck with the baby stuff."

"There's no hope of getting another baby in the family when Dad's like he is, either," Nate sighed dramatically. "I'm _stuck_."

"Forever and ever. Unless …. You know. He decides to adopt another poor, lost, little, pitiful orphan."

"He might. Maybe that's what he's calling Genosha for," Nate said.

James snorted laughing at that. "Sure, Nate. Hold on to that hope."

"Someone's gotta," Nate said with a smirk, then raised his voice when there was a knock at the door. "I also like holding onto Hawkeyes."

"Both of them? Jeez, Nate. I don't know what to say. Other than … I'm concerned."

Kate was giggling as she let herself in. "You're such a good big brother," she teased and kissed James' cheek.

"I try," he said. "I should ask when you guys are getting married the way you're going, though."

"Um, we're in high school," Kate said, rolling her eyes. "Pump the brakes, James."

"Yeah, but he's just like Dad …" James said, grinning widely.

"Shut up, James. I'm not getting married straight out of graduation," Nate grumbled.

"No, it'll be your eighteenth birthday."

"You planning on holding the shotgun?" Kate asked.

"Nope, I'll be taking pictures." He tipped his head. "Unless that's you saying there's a _reason_ there should be a shotgun."

"That would be a definite _no_ ," Kate said, her eyes wide and horrified.

James was chuckling as he waved her over. "So. The buttons are done and I think we can work them into the badges."

"More than a fashion statement," Kate said - and Nate tried hard not to fall over laughing.

"You two are mind melded," James said with a crooked smile. "He said the same thing then wanted to practice his runway walk for you."

"Oh, is _that_ where that text came from?" Kate laughed.

"I try to keep you in the loop for these things, Katherine."

"Because you love me," Kate agreed as she came to sit down in Nate's lap.

"If you say so," James said, shaking his head as he went back to tinkering. "If you're going to start in though, I _will_ have to ask you to find somewhere else. I can't do my job and big brother properly while you're trying to get your shotgun wedding started up."

The picking didn't even really get a chance to get off the ground before the door opened again - but this time it wasn't another member of their fledgeling team. And it was crystal clear that Tony was _not_ happy.

"Hi, Uncle Tony," Kate sang out sweetly in a tone that she'd used a hundred times when she was little to get out of trouble.

"Uh-uh, no. that's not gonna work," Tony snapped her way. "What the _hell_ were you three thinking, huh?" He was glaring at all three of them and any humor they'd had was out the window that quickly.

When Kate looked _shocked_ that Tony had gotten mad at her, Nate shook his head. _Looks like we're having this argument again,_ he projected to the other two before he said, "Come on; tell me you don't know we're right. You married _Jan_. I know you know things aren't as good for mutants as the superficial 'we're not dead so that's good' level look would say."

"That doesn't mean you go out there parading around with an 'x' on your chest like some kind of _glowing target_ ," Tony shot back. "This is something to leave up to the _adults_. You're not _trained_ for this."

"Trained for what, exactly?" Nate shot back. "Helping civilians?"

"The kind of heat that badge brings down on you - it's not what you're doing - it's what the bad guys are going to do _to_ you," Tony replied. "You want to help? Do more rounds with the Avengers. Make a patrol out of it for Christ's sake, but don't …" he turned and pointed a finger at James. "And _you_ aren't even on our team. That's just _asking_ for it."

"I'm on my own team," James replied perfectly calmly, though that only seemed to wind Tony up tighter.

"And it's not just the team you need to be worried about," Tony bellowed, which got James to honestly take a step back. "I'm _relying_ on you. You're supposed to step in when I'm ready to step down. What do you think I've been training you for with all the business classes and giving you every damn thing you could possibly want in this lab?"

When it was clear Tony had knocked the slats out from under James, Kate stepped up. "It's not like the Avengers aren't dangerous too," she reasoned. "I got kidnapped, like, three times by Hydra when I was in elementary school…"

"That's not it either, and you know it," Tony said. "You go out there as X-Men, you don't _have_ any connections. You don't _have_ the back up -"

"Is that your way of saying you're disowning us? Or that you're changing your mind about what you want from me?" James said. "Because if this is a press job for that, it's not going to work. You _know_ I'll stick to your plan. But I don't see why helping fix the rampant _racism_ would hurt your company if you want me to take over eventually. It's not going to fix itself."

Tony looked like he was ready to tear into James freshly for that, but Nate intervened. "Besides," Nate said, grabbing the panic button James had made and handing it out to Tony. "We made these. Well, James did. Dad's idea, though. Hit the button, call for a rescue."

"I'm not going to even _consider_ that as an option unless every last _one_ of you joins up on _our_ team," Tony said. "And more than just as a title. You have to do the rounds like _everyone_ else that wants to be an Avenger."

"You're just trying to keep us from having _time_ to do the X-Men," James said, though Tony didn't look as if he was going to even deny it.

"And most of us are already on the team anyway," Kate pointed out. "I mean, unless you want to talk to Storm about Mia and Magneto about the grandkids…"

Tony looked more irritated at that. "Yes. And Cyclops about his junior Wolverine. They need _permission_. Because they're _minors. Just like you are._ "

"It'd be Wanda, not Magneto," James said to Kate as he kept his focus on Tony. "And I'm pretty sure Scarlet Mom would be tickled if they wanted to be Avengers. Not a problem there. Storm and Dad though …"

"Dad already let Rachel and I do it. Go with Rachel to talk to Storm," Nate suggested. "She can't say no to Rachel the older she gets and the more she looks like Mom."

"No," Tony said. "You want to pull this crap, _you_ figure it out, but you're not going to be using _our team_ for back up unless you can do that."

"Oh, so just because my big sister is an adult, she's off-limits for team-ups?" Nate rolled his eyes. "Good to know."

"No, that's fine," James said, holding one hand up to signal Nate to hold off. "It's not what he meant. I get it. Nate, we can talk to Storm." He took a second to project out the rest. _Rachel's not the only one she has trouble saying no to._

_Point._

"When's practice?" James said to Tony, arms crossed.

"Ask Cap," he said, turning to leave. " _He's_ the one that said he'd handle the whole X-Men thing. But _I've_ got my own concerns that reach farther than just you on the teams."

"Fair," James said, nodding, and that, if nothing else seemed to be enough to get Tony to relax a little. As soon as Tony left, James looked back at Nate. "You want to call Dad or should I?"

"I'll call Dad if you call Ororo," Nate said without missing a beat.

"I'm just gonna drive out there," James said. "Harder to say no to face to face. You comin'?"

"Absolutely," Nate said.

"Me too," Kate put in. "I want to watch you guys work."

"Tag along," James teased.

Kate grinned and nodded. "Yep. Token human tagalong."

James shook his head and started picking up the things scattered on the workbench, though he pocketed the panic buttons - one for Scott and the other for Ororo. The rest went into a little box that he'd pass to Jan on the way out the door. "I'll go talk to Steve," James said. "Get the official details so I can say I dotted all the 'i's and crossed my t's."

"Probably a good idea, considering how thin the ice is," Kate said, making a face.

"Meet you in the garage," James said. "And I'm driving, you lunatic."

"Okay. I'll just make out with your brother in the back seat!"

"Uh huh. Knew you were working your way up to that shot-gun wedding." James called over his shoulder as he headed out to track down Steve to make it official.

* * *

When the three of them got to Westchester, James took a moment to sit there with his hands over his face. "I'm already getting more mad about all the hoops," James said.

"We knew the adults would freak out on us," Nate pointed out.

"I know, and we've spent all this time trying not to piss them off or freak them out," James said.

"We're teenagers; I think that's in the job description, right?" Nate said with a crooked grin.

"Sure, that's it," James said flatly before he frowned, nodded to himself once and then got out. "Whatever. Let's just get moving on this, huh?"

 _We knew it was gonna be hard when we agreed to wear the uniforms,_ Nate said, trying to buck his brother up. _And we didn't give Dad a heart attack on the spot, so this is actually going well._

 _Sure,_ James said. _Just makes me want to push harder, if you want to know the truth._

 _Oh good, because I was thinking the same thing,_ Nate said.

_I hate going against Dad. You know that. But it's overdue, and if Tony really does want me to run things … there's no way that it wouldn't be a blow to SI. One more thing to worry about on top of Dad's stress levels._

_We all have our concerns,_ Nate said. _And we're all worried about Dad. Rachel's been trying to convince him to get_ help _but apparently, the last time he asked anyone for therapy, Emma Frost tried to have a telepathic affair with him using my Mom's face so…_

_Alright, but can you blame him for not wanting to try there?_

_Not even a little bit._

The three of them let themselves into the relatively empty entryway and crossed the foyer headed right for Storm's office, where it looked like she had been having more or less the same argument all the other adults were having with their kids, if Mia's switching tail and angry glare was anything to go by.

"Should we come back?" James asked, doing his best version of an innocent expression.

Both of them looked up at the newcomers, and Ororo let out a sigh before she shook her head. "I'm surprised to see you here. I would have thought Scott and Tony would have you under lock and key after that stunt you pulled."

"We're on parole," Nate defended.

"First of all, it wasn't a stunt," James said, holding up one hand. "And second, the parole has conditions."

"Oh?" Ororo raised an eyebrow at them, clearly waiting for the other shoe to drop.

James started toward her and reached into his pocket to hand her one of the panic buttons. "Dad knows that if he's too overbearing it'll just cause bigger problems, so he told us to get a panic button that will call in the Avengers if we have any whisper of trouble." He didn't let her refuse it as he dropped it into her hand. "I'd like if you and Forge looked them over before we do anything with them officially."

Ororo looked honestly surprised as she looked at the small button. "That… is not a bad idea," she said.

"And as for Tony, there were more conditions," James said, holding her gaze. "They said the only way we'd get protection was for those of us not on the team yet to join the Avengers. Steve said the invitation was to the twins and Mia, too - for more protection, better training, and a safety net."

Ororo looked to Mia, who was standing with her hands clasped under her chin and her tail swaying behind her, obviously hopeful - and it was hard to say no to something so _reasonable_. "Let me look at this panic button," she said. "Then perhaps I'll talk to Steve about working with Mia's school schedule."

James let his shoulders drop and gave her a crooked smile. "You think I'd pull your leg, Aunt 'Ro?"

"I think there's more to this than your smooth tongue will let slip," she said with a fond smile. "You get that from your mother."

"Ask me anything, you know I won't lie to you," James said, still smiling at her.

"Then tell me why you resurrected the team," Ororo said, holding his gaze. "I know what Mia said, but I want to hear your answers. All of you."

The teasing smile slipped, but James didn't miss a beat. "To honor my parents, Nate and Rachel's mom, the professor, and all of _you_ ," James said. "I won't ever admit it anywhere else or _to_ anyone else, but Magneto wasn't entirely wrong. The way he's trying to change things now is wrong, and the way he's perverting the professor's dream is _insulting_ to what Dad and you taught us about the professor. The fact that he's doing it while waving the 'X-Men' flag like he ever did anything but fight you on it burns me. So, speaking for myself? I want to do it right. Show the world how it's supposed to look."

Ororo's expression had significantly softened by the time James finished saying his piece, though she didn't say anything as Kate and Nate chimed in too.

"James is right," Nate said with a shrug. "And I don't argue with my big brother when he's right. Plus, I'm tired of seeing my dad get scared every time something hits the news having to do with mutants. I know the Avengers are putting out fires, but I didn't sign up to be a firefighter, you know?"

And when Kate realized Ororo was waiting for her and not just assuming like everyone else had that she was on the team for Nate, she blushed. "It's just… it's stupid everyone thinks only the mutant heroes should take the biggest risk, so like… if I can help _and_ be on a team with Nate, win-win, right?"

For a long time, Ororo was silent as she stared at them, and then she cleared her throat, straightened her shoulders, and nodded. "You… certainly are the X-Men I remember," she said, trying and failing to keep her composure before, in the next second, she had her arms around James, since he was closest, in a tight hug.

"You know we love you guys, right?" James said as he curled into her shoulder.

"And you know that you mean the whole world to us, don't you?" she told him gently.

"Yeah, but that's why we have to do it, too," James said.

"You really are so much like them. All of you. Just like us - bright-eyed and hopeful and wanting to make a difference…" She shook her head and stepped back from the hug. " _Be careful_."

"We promise," Nate said, holding one hand up. "None of us want anything bad to happen to _anyone._ "

"I should hope not," Ororo said. "I'd hate to think Scott raised masochists."

"The whole reason it took us so long to get going was because we were worried about him," Nate said.

"And now?" Ororo asked, sounding concerned herself.

"I know I can't see into the future, but it's easy to see that now, if we don't do something, Magneto is going to drag it all through the mud and everything will get worse," Nate replied. "And maybe, _maybe_ if we can pull this off - Dad might realize we're not going to disappear on him."

"You know I want success for you," Ororo said, looking between all of them, her gaze resting especially on Mia. "But you also know _why_ I'm asking you to be careful, don't you?"

The three of them nodded, and though it was clear they felt the gravity of it, James was frowning to himself as he agreed with the others.

"So…" Mia said slowly. "Does this mean I'm an Avenger now?"

"Even if she says yes?" Nate said. "Technically you have to pass Cap's entry exam."

"I'll help you," Kate promised. "I got in when I was just old enough to have 'being a teenager' on my side. I've got a few tips and tricks."

"We can all help you," Nate added then turned to Ororo. "And so you know? We told Dad we wouldn't turn down his advice - short of 'don't do it at all'. We'd be stupid not to offer the same to you."

Ororo smiled almost sadly. "Just don't get ahead of yourselves," she warned. "Don't make the mistake of hubris. Ask for help."

"All we've done so far is to clean up a mess someone else made," James said. "We're not above asking for help."

"I know," Ororo said. "But we started small and got bigger than we anticipated - faster than we realized. Don't get caught up in it. That's all."

"Keep it small. Keep it family," Nate said, nodding.

Ororo let out a breath and then made sure to hug him too. "I know I can't talk you out of this," she said. "You really are just like we were. I couldn't be prouder - or more worried."

"I think Dad'll have a support group for that - or at least a time to get together and complain about us," James said.

"Don't think I won't be dragging him over here when you're all on missions," Ororo warned.

"Please do," Nate said. "He could use it."

"Then it's settled," Ororo agreed - while Mia tried very hard to act like she wasn't bouncing for joy behind her mother's back.

"Oh, and when you're done looking that panic button over, keep it," James said. "Tell me how many you want and I'll build them for you."

"We know the school's drawing attention too," Nate explained. "And you should probably take your own advice - you know, have a way to call for help?" He smirked. "Maybe the X-Men can save the school. Or help save it anyway. Novel idea, right?"

Ororo smiled at that. "You are _so_ much like Scott sometimes," she said, then tipped her head James' way. "Both of you."

"Love you too," James said. "So … I guess if we're not going to get yelled at anymore today, what do you think, Nate? Pick up something on the way home?"

"Burgers and fries?" Nate suggested.

"And a shake for Kate so she doesn't die of lack of sugar?" James said, giving her a look. "Or should we not share?"

There was an obvious telepathic conversation between Kate and Nate, with a lot of significant looks in between, before Nate shrugged. "Can't leave her out. We'd be _discriminating_."

"Alright you can walk," James said as he turned to head for the door. "Both of you. Since you can't keep your minds out of the gutter - no other reason not to speak freely."

Ororo couldn't help but laugh. "Some things never change," she said, grinning broadly.


	40. Dirty Little Secret Comes Out

Usually, when James came by to visit the school _and_ gave Billy advanced text notice, that meant Billy was waiting to see him with a huge grin on. This time, though, he was on the couch in the living room with his headphones in distractedly grinning over whatever he was listening to.

James didn't interrupt him more than to just slide onto the other end of the couch, and put his arm up on the back of the couch, then waited for him to finish whatever it was he was up to. He didn't want to interrupt when Billy was concentrating on something that hard.

Suddenly, Billy seemed to notice he wasn't alone. "Oh, hey!"

"Wow. Knew it was a matter of time, but still."

"Sorry. There's this new podcast…" Billy pulled one of the earbuds out and let it dangle around his neck. "PodXcast… It's kind of amazing. Total fangirling of the team. _Way_ better press than the news gives us."

"That really doesn't take much," James pointed out as he slid closer.

"Okay, that's true," Billy admitted. "But seriously, you should listen. She's making a lot of our points for us without getting fed any lines…"

"You sure you didn't just wish her into being?"

"That's what Tommy said…" Billy admitted, blushing. "I didn't though."

James was grinning at him for that. "Subliminal wish?"

"Hey, if I was going to wish someone into being, it would be a big, strong, sassy - oh hey! Look! You're here!" Billy teased and then stole a kiss. "Yay!"

"Alright, that makes up for missing that I _was_ here," James laughed.

"I swear, I just was wrapped up in this podcast," Billy laughed.

"Mmhmm, I'm forgettable. I know." He took a second to give Billy a chance to respond, but when he didn't do more than just stare back, he took the second earbud. "Alright. Hit me. Whatcha got?"

Billy grinned and resumed the podcast, which was talking about the latest X-Men mission - this one going to help some kids that had been busted as mutants accidentally using their powers when they got scared during a Hydra raid. It had actually been pretty seamless… the kids were all Avengers anyway, so they'd seen the trouble brewing and switched gears to help once Hydra was taken care of.

The girl running the podcast - who just gave her name as Alyssa - was _gushing_ about the whole thing, obviously thrilled. "This is exactly what the X-Men used to be! I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the Avengers as much as the next girl who loves eye candy, but it's nice to know there's someone out there who can save a couple college kids from losers…"

She went on for a while after that, covering a lot of the same arguments the kids had made to their concerned parents - and the whole time, Billy was grinning at James, watching his expression.

"Well?" he asked. "Pretty awesome, right? And she's not even a mutant!"

"She's definitely enthusiastic," James said, nodding. "I really didn't expect there to be someone this … well. We haven't been doing this for too long, you know?"

"Yeah, but I think that just speaks to how _badly_ everyone missed the X-Men, you know?" Billy said.

"Definitely," James agreed. "How long has this 'cast been going on?"

"A couple weeks after our first mission," Billy said. "I think she didn't want to jump on board until she knew we were serious and not just… some publicity stunt, y'know? A lot of people thought we were working with my grandfather… still do, actually…"

"That'll change," James said.

"He's already threatened to drag me and Tommy back to Genosha by our ears," Billy said with a smirk.

"We'd be forced to stage a rescue," James replied with a crooked grin.

"Well, actually…" Billy leaned forward a bit. "We're headed back for Spring Break to see Mom anyway, so we sort of placated him, and promised him we'd listen to what he had to say. Mostly so he'd stop threatening to wrap us in metal and shuttle us home if we don't behave?"

"Nothing says a loving gesture like a metal cocoon."

Billy shrugged. "He's… grumpier the older he gets," he said mildly.

" _Stop_. You're scaring me." James was smiling mildly as he joked around.

"Thinking of the future?" Billy teased, grinning wider. "Worried I'll be a grumpy old man?"

"Yep, and then what would we do?"

Billy grinned and then kissed James. "That, probably."

"Does that help with the grump?" James raised an eyebrow. "Or would it help if I pointed out that at some point, I really won't age anymore?"

Billy grinned. "You mean I get eye candy for the rest of forever? I like this idea."

James laughed and pulled him a little closer. "Dad said Logan was pushing 150 when he died and didn't have a single gray hair."

"Nice. I'll probably go silver like my grandfather," Billy said.

"Well that's not horrible. I mean … look at Tommy. He's already white, right? So he'll probably be bald by that time."

Billy snorted, then leaned back to rest against James' shoulder. "You could come if you wanted," he said. "See the island, I mean."

"Do you want me to?" James asked, smirking crookedly.

"If I say it's because I want you to meet my parents, would you totally bust me for falling too hard too fast? Because I just… it matters to me if you get along with my dad _and_ my mom."

"You get along with mine," he said. "It's only fair, right?"

"Ooh, you know what? We should probably bring him so he doesn't get, like, separation anxiety. And I know Kitty and Bobby would _love_ to see him again."

"I'd have to ask anyhow," James said. "He was doing a good job of controlling his panic attacks when I go with Tony to the other side of the country. Different continent would probably still trigger an arrhythmia. Besides, he could use a break, let's be honest. Besides, if we're in Genosha, we're not running missions, right? If you mean it, I'll ask him tonight."

"Yeah, I mean it," Billy said. "I've never gotten to take a guy home before. Kinda exciting."

James smiled a little wider. "Alright then. We'll see if Dad's game. So … until then, what are we doing?"

Billy grinned crookedly. "We're writing the future where you're ageless and I'm the only twin with hair and you take care of me 'til the day I die and kiss the sense out of me every night …"

"Just every night?"

"Of course not. Mornings, noon, and whenever I say, too."

"Oh, obviously. So … practice for that then?"

Billy grinned and then stole a long kiss. "Yes. That."

* * *

"What's that for?" James asked as Katie slid a latte to him while pulling up a chair in his lab. He'd been locked in the tower with Tony for days working on the military project and entirely concentrated on whatever it was the new 3D printer was churning out - not that he'd told anyone what it was yet.

"Just trying to be nice, that's all," she replied with a smile. "That's all."

James raised an eyebrow but haltingly took the coffee. "I'm not saying I believe you … but thanks." He took a sip of the coffee then settled in as Kate got comfy, peeking over at what he was working on.

"Is that for the team?" she asked when she saw the tiny, sharp edges. When James looked up at her, she batted her eyelashes and grinned, knowing it would at least get a smirk out of him. He was practically her brother, as it was - the fact that she was dating Nate hadn't changed that much.

"Absolutely not," James said, then pulled a small tray over to let her take a look. "Just for you. But you knew that or you wouldn't have brought me coffee, right?"

"I … might have heard from Jan that you were working up something new." She grinned as she pulled the box closer. "What are they?"

"Low dose sedative," James answered. "You had all kinds of deterrents, I figured it was time you got something that would sedate a threat harmlessly."

"So I can totally save Nate's butt when he gets in trouble," Kate decided as she picked up the container and grinned at the fact that it wasn't just a handful of them like Tony usually made for her Dad - this was enough to last her for _months_. "Awww, you do love me."

"I'm pretty sure I have to at this point," James said as he went back to his work. He'd just reached for a screwdriver when it and every other metallic component in the lab suddenly started to float. At first, James frowned, then looked to Kate, who looked just as confused as he was an instant before they were hit by a tremendous wind as the metal holding the glass in place on the outer walls peeled back to admit Magneto, who looked thunderous.

"Can I help you?" James said as dryly as he could manage about half a second before he found himself wrapped up tightly in wires and whatever bits of metal Magneto had pulled out of the walls around them. It was tight enough to keep him from fighting back, but not _quite_ tight enough to dig in deeply.

And before Magneto could say anything, a ball of plastic wire covering hit him in the back of the helmet. "What, do they not teach you how to say a polite hello on Genosha? What is your _problem_?"

"This doesn't concern you, young lady," Erik said shortly.

"Um, you wrapped up my second favorite Summers. I'm concerned."

"Kate, just go," James said from between his teeth. "He's not going to do anything _stupid_ like piss off his grandson by being more of a jackass and _actually_ hurting me." He glared at Erik with every bit of venom that they'd gotten acoss on their first meeting at Xaviers. "He knows that would blow up in his face. He's just like this."

"Yeah, well, I'm protective of you, so… there," Kate said with a shrug. "Hi, Magneto, by the way. What's got your cape twisted?"

"That is a private matter," Erik said. "And it doesn't concern little _Avengers_ and would-be X-Men."

Kate gestured toward James with one hand. "Um, you attacked someone on both teams in the presence of an Avenger _in_ Avengers' tower, so I'm just gonna have to disagree with that assessment. Assault by magnetic burrito is still assault."

"He's just mad I'm with Billy," James said. "It's not about the teams."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Seriously? Your grandkid finds a beefcake and you're pissed about it?"

James stared at her in disbelief, and Erik seemed to be doing the same, though before James could find the words to respond, Erik got there first. "That has no bearing on matters."

"It's not that he found someone, it's that it's _me_ ," James said. "I'm not the right _kind_ of mutant."

Once again, Kate rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh. Not bad enough there's the human-mutant divide, now we gotta do subdivisions?" She gestured to James. "What's wrong with him anyway? He's a total cutie and a genius and he's got all the Summers manners drilled into his head. Come _on_."

"Why are you _here_?" Erik asked with a sneer, though when the banging on the door got louder, he flicked his wrist to send an entire bench across the room to barricade the door better. "And more importantly, why haven't you even tried to defend your _friend_ if that's how you feel?"

"Well, one, I like Billy and I think he'd be mad if I used his grandfather's cape as a hangman's noose? And two, I'm here because James and I are friends. And three, I didn't bring any wooden stake arrows. So… we can be civilized, right?"

For a moment, Erik simply blinked at her before he started to walk toward her. "What is it that you _do_ again, Miss Barton?"

"Cheerlead?" Kate offered with a winning smile.

For an instant, he looked almost amused. "Ah. Now it makes sense. The Avengers will only allow you to parade around as so called 'X-Men' if you keep a token _human_ in your ranks."

"If that were the case, it'd be exactly what the professor would have wanted," James shot back.

"Peaceful coexistence," Kate agreed, nodding fervently. "Isn't that the point?"

"Not anymore" Erik said, turning her way with a snarl. "I think there's been more than enough human interference with mutantkind. And I've had enough of your influence as well."

"Can't take the truth," Kate muttered to James. "Good thing Billy got the sense his grandfather missed out on. Must be his dad's influence."

"I think, Miss Barton, that you'd find you'll live longer if you mind your own business," Erik said. "And as for you." He turned toward James looking just as livid as ever while tightening the metal slightly - but enough that Kate could _see_ it moving. "Do not dismiss my offer to _protect_ your little group. Unless of course, you're simply biding your time before you find yourself discovering your _real usefulness_ inside of a lab isn't going to be _conducting_ the experiments. The company you keep will determine who it is holding the _leash_ \- and who you drag _down_ with you."

James glared back at him, but surprisingly didn't have anything to respond with before Erik simply _dropped_ him and found his own way out, demagnetizing the barricade that had been shoved against the door, though the windows were going to need professional repair. Which meant that James needed help to get _out_ of his wrapped up state and his lab was wrecked for the time being.

"Kate," James said after a moment. "Are you okay?"

Kate sniffed slightly and tipped her chin up. "Of course I'm okay," she said. " _You're_ the one in a metal cocoon."

"Just … find something to cut through this crap, please."

"Good thing I hang out in your lab," Kate muttered, looking through James' tools until she found a precision laser and a wire cutter. "Okay, tell me if I get too close…"

James turned his head away from Kate and the cutter, only cringing a few times when he got burned from the laser or the wire cutters pinched more than just wire. He was quiet and clearly angry as she worked, though it wasn't until she was done that he spoke again. "Not a word."

"About which part? The metal bodysuit or the fact that Magneto now knows you're a beefcake?" Kate asked with just a bit of her usual teasing - though she wasn't quite on her game and James could see it.

James barely smirked as he shook his head. "He's just mad. We're both fine, and my Dad does _not_ need to worry himself over this." He gave her a significant look. "I'm sure Billy already knows that he was coming to _talk_ , so just … let it go."

"Yeah, well, I at least have to tell my parents I got busted as a human," Kate said, wincing slightly. "Nate made me swear to tell the Avengers when that happened. He's kinda cute when he's protective."

James gestured around them. "Fifty bucks says the redecorator already knows anyhow, but yeah. You need to tell them that much. For your own safety. Just … ah … leave me out of it."

"Still gonna look out for you - you know that, right?" Kate said. "You're pretty much family."

"I'll be fine, Katie." James' tone was clearly down as he turned and simply started cleaning up a little bit before the sounds of pounding grew louder with shouts accenting the hits. He looked at Kate for a moment, then started pushing the bench out of the way to admit half of the Avengers. "Katie strained her sass-box," James said, then went back to salvage mode while the adults began to take in the damage.

"I couldn't help it," Kate said, then waved at her mom with the tips of her fingers. "Hey, Mom. Promise I'm okay. James backed me up, right, James?"

"Yep," was the sort response, and it was clear he was closing down and getting madder the more he thought about it. "Great rebound, Hawkeye."

"What did he want?" Steve asked, surveying the damage with his eyes narrowed - the Avengers didn't have to ask to find out who was responsible.

"To be sassed," Kate said. "Oh, and to meet Billy's boyfriend."

"It's fine," James said, though he wasn't looking at any of them and he didn't realize how irked he really looked with the determined glare he was wearing .

"I know that look," Natasha started to say, but Kate cut in. (After all, she wanted to back James up, and she knew he really _was_ worried about his dad getting too stressed about it.)

"James is… kinda pissed off on my behalf," Kate put in, blushing red. "I got… busted. As a human. Because I couldn't help James except to sass." She glanced up at the other Avengers. "Oh, and he thinks that means the Avengers won't let the X-Men exist as a team without human supervision, so that's fun."

Tony swore outright and started to pace - at least until James pushed a few tablets into his hands. "He didn't take anything with him. It's fine."

"He really was mostly just here to make threats because James is so obviously a bad influence on Billy and I'm _such_ an evil human," Kate said, rolling her eyes. "I sassed him away."

"What kind of threats were made?" Natasha asked with a frown.

"Nothing," James said.

"Be a good human and don't interfere," Kate said at the same time - because her version of mad meant she was going to complain about it.

Natasha arched one eyebrow high. "Is that all?"

"Jackass spilled my coffee," James said under his breath, blatantly avoiding answering her as he picked up the now-empty cup then walked over to grab his coat. He turned toward Tony, not even _looking_ at Natasha. "Am I going to work with you tomorrow, or do you want me to just stay home until this gets fixed?"

"I'd say dealers choice, but I kinda think you might need a day if you're not even going to answer questions," Tony said, looking far more stressed out than he had in a long time.

"Fine," James said, his lip almost curling as he spoke. "Let me know when I can come back." He started toward the door, only pausing to kiss Kate's cheek. "Glad you're alright. Thanks again for the coffee."

* * *

Of course, Kate wasn't doing a very good job hiding the fact that James had been threatened, no matter how hard she was trying to hold the line. Obviously, her mom was suspicious. But she had been worried enough about James that she hadn't pressed Kate in front of all the other Avengers.

Her dad, on the other hand, was a whole other thing.

Kate was on the roof of the Bartons' building pegging empty soda bottles with dimes - something her dad had taught her to do not long after she was adopted - when Clint sat down with her.

"You know you can't protect him from Magneto on your own, right?" Clint said.

Kate glanced up at him quickly and then went right back to what she was doing. "It's fine, Dad."

"It's not, Katie," Clint said in the exact same tone and meter she had been using. "What did he say to get you to clam up?"

"Dad…"

"Katie," Clint said, copying her whiny tone.

Kate rolled her eyes. "You know I hate it when you do that."

"Well then don't blow me off and I won't have to do it."

Kate huffed out an annoyed breath, but again, Clint stood his ground. So, she hunched her shoulders and rested her chin on her knees. "He just doesn't want his dad to have a stroke worrying about him, okay?"

"That's a valid concern," Clint agreed, scooting closer. "But maybe it would be better for him to know the truth instead of twisting himself up worrying the what-ifs." When Kate raised an eyebrow his way, he shrugged. "I speak 'worried father'."

Kate shook her head and rested her head on his shoulder. "It really wasn't a big deal. It was the supervillain version of Luke going after Scott when James and Dani were a thing. Except with more drama and 'don't mess with my warped vision for the world if you want to live' in there. With swishy capes."

"So was it Luke-level or Red Skull-level? I think I've lost track somewhere," Clint teased.

Kate laughed. "Honestly, it's hard to tell with him. He _definitely_ threatened me and more or less told James not to associate with riff-raff if he didn't want to end up with the riff-raff being thrown out or whatever. So sort of a tangential threat? I didn't hear all of it. But he also wrapped James up in metal as an _introduction_ before he said anything at all, so he's pissy about James and Billy and will almost definitely try to break my second favorite Summers if Billy gives even the slightest indication he's not interested or, heaven forbid, they _don't work_."

"Kate, that's not nothing from Magneto."

"I know," she said. "But … James isn't wrong either. He's not going to stop dating Billy, and besides, we're already pissing Magneto off wearing the X's, so this isn't new information, right?"

"It is, but the attempt to play it down was valiant."

Kate smiled and snuggled into Clint a little more. "So, can we not talk about supervillains for a minute? I already got interrogated by Uncle Tony _and_ Uncle Steve."

"Oooh. Double-teamed?"

"With Mom playing referee."

"You need ice cream, then."

"Yes. Yes, I do."

* * *

Clint had only waited long enough for Kate to get distracted texting with Nate before he told Scott the whole story - and then Scott had waited until James was gone the next morning to get himself breakfast before he even _started_ to dissect everything he'd learned.

He wasn't just thinking about the incident with James, either. He still hadn't forgotten Kitty's warnings or the fact that Magneto was showing his face far more often _outside_ of Genosha - and drawing down exactly the anti-mutant sentiment that the X-Men and Avengers had managed to keep at bay with their avoidance tactics.

It was starting to feel distressingly familiar, right down to Magneto threatening the feral on the team for being inferior.

Kitty's call was almost enough to get him thinking about dealing with Magneto himself, but knowing his son was in danger too, not to mention his younger son's girlfriend - well, he didn't like the way this was going. He might not have been leading the X-Men anymore, but he hadn't lost the ability to plan ahead and strategize. And mitigating the damage Magneto could do was crucial now - _before_ he got too much traction.

He just didn't like his options with the X-Men disbanded and the Avengers even bigger targets because they had failed to stop the _first_ X-Men from being killed off. He knew Magneto still harbored a grudge. A big one. If _they_ stepped in, he'd kill them. He'd barely held back on Genosha the first time because Tony had been helping Scott at the time.

He sighed and shook himself out of his thoughts when he heard the familiar knock at his front door that meant Toby was there. He hadn't had time to process all this information and form a plan yet, so he put it out of his mind for the time being.

"Why the long face?" Tony asked when Scott opened the door and invited him in wordlessly.

"James is getting a hard time for dating Billy," Scott told him honestly.

"He had to know that was going to happen sooner or later from _someone_ ," Toby reasoned. "Who was it being a pain?"

"Billy's family, actually," Scott said. "He's dealing with it. I'm waiting to see _how_ he deals with it before I decide if I need to step in." He gave Toby a tired smile. "He's almost an adult. I'm _trying_ to remember that."

"Well," Toby said slowly. "How bad can it be? The two of them seemed good together when I saw them last. Billy seems like he's stable, so he probably had a good home life … it'll blow over, I'm sure. Your boy isn't the type to start much trouble, that I've seen."

"We'll see," Scott said. He paused. "Do you know who Billy's grandfather is?"

"Does it matter?" Toby asked.

"It's Magneto."

Toby paused, staring at Scott for a long moment. "Well that explains why he's suddenly showing up again."

"Yeah." Scott let out a long sigh. "We'll see how this goes. Billy's parents were Avengers. He seems to take after them. But I'm keeping an eye out."

"You're still not sure about the boy then?" Toby asked.

"I'm as sure as I can be when Betsy tells me he and his grandfather are in regular contact."

Toby went back to stirring his coffee, though it was clearly a habit and not out of necessity at all. "What _exactly_ would Billy and his crazy grandfather have to gain by messing with your boy?"

"So far, the worst trouble has been that James is close with the Avengers."

"How is that a problem?" Toby asked.

"To be honest, Magneto never forgave them for not stepping in to help mutants in a more substantial way before the professor and everyone else was killed."

"So … what? Association would mean the kid is guilty of turning on mutants, or ... "

"Toby, all of this is new intel for me too. When I was an X-Man, there were times we could work with Magneto and he was a dependable ally. Other times, he was an egomaniacal villain trying to take the world down with him. I still don't know which way he's leaning. I'll let you know when I do."

Toby nodded at that. "And you know, if your boy needs to talk to someone …" He shrugged. "He's welcome to sit and have coffee anytime. I know he won't _talk_."

"Thanks, Toby."


	41. So Much Teenage Drama

While Nate was taking a day with his team for a seminar and James was with Tony working away, Kate was more than happy to take a day to go visit Mia. It was overdue anyhow - and the way she'd heard it from her sources on the ground in Westchester, Mia was in hot water over her speedy boyfriend. And by all her sources, that meant Billy, who had an inside scoop on _everything_ concerning his twin.

But he hadn't gotten the time to relay to Kate what he knew, or what was going on with how grounded Tommy was via remote, including how Storm was in charge of enforcing his punishments. Mia knew, though. And she was not thrilled.

The fact remained that Ororo was in charge of _both_ of their punishments on a level that was more meaningful than _just_ headmistress. Especially when she was making sure that the punishments were complementing each other.

When Kate got to the Institute, Billy and Mia were getting the snacks together in preparation for their night in. Mia had insisted Kate bring a couple of new movies, but the moment she'd walked into the room it was pretty clear that Mia had zero intentions of _watching_ them. Especially when so much in her world was so epically unfair.

"We haven't even _done_ that much," Mia lamented as she perched on the back of the couch with Kate and Billy watching her rant as they shared the popcorn.

"Whose definition of 'not much' are you working off of?" Kate asked with a smile. "Because there might be a sliding scale for you know … time dating and age ... "

"Doesn't count as much when you're like … practically living together," Mia argued. "Which … _same building._ "

"Different _wings_ ," Kate laughed.

"I know you're enjoying pushing things, but … you really should be careful with Tommy-," Billy said.

"You mean like your grandfather told you to be careful - no. that wasn't it," Mia said with her finger on her chin. "He told you to _steer clear_ of James. Not just to be careful."

Billy stared at her for a moment in shocked silence. "How did you…"

"Yeah, Tommy totally threw you under the bus once he got started on _perfect little Billy_." Mia shook her head. "He was honestly surprised Magneto was even mad at you, but he wasn't surprised _you_ didn't get in trouble while your _boyfriend_ did."

"How … how mad was he?" Billy asked quietly. "My grandfather, I mean."

As Mia lifted one eyebrow, Kate pushed him in the shoulder. "Are you kidding? He totally rearranged James' lab." Kate frowned, though she stopped short of telling him anything else if James was going to try to keep _secrets_. "You knew about that. I know you did."

"I thought it was more sweeping than just James' lab," Billy said, looking honestly alarmed. "That would explain why there wasn't an answer yet."

"An answer to what?" Mia asked brightly, though the way her tail was swaying was a dead giveaway of how much she was enjoying someone else in trouble.

Billy glanced up at her and shook his head. "Nevermind. We should just … focus on how you're going to have your mother stringing Tommy up and how you'll never be able to be on any team because you love trouble so much."

Mia gasped dramatically and threw a handful of popcorn at Billy. "Like you have room to talk! You're spending every _minute you get_ trying to be just as speedy as your brother!"

"Time out," Kate said, holding her hands up in a 'T' in front of herself. "We are not talking about who got how far with who. At all. Ever." She turned to Mia with a grin. "You're too young. And I like coming here to see you." But she honestly couldn't help herself. "But he looks like he's _fun._ You know. With the kissing and troublemaking and … yeah...still not nearly as interesting as my Superior Summers, though."

And while they were chatting and comparing Nate Summers to Billy's _twin_ with a level of detail that Billy wasn't entirely comfortable with, Billy took his phone out to text James and find out how bad it had been when Erik had come by. He really wanted to know since James hadn't said what had gone down _at all_. Of course, halfway through drafting the text, he second guessed himself, deleted it, and instead sent a selfie with Kate that Mia photobombed upside down at the last possible moment with a caption of 'wish you were here'.

He wasn't expecting James to reply with 'me too' and a selfie taken by Tony that had both of them, Peter, and little May Parker all working on the military project. Or to be more accurate, Tony, James, and Peter were. May was there simply to keep her out of trouble and it was clear from the pictures she wasn't amused, even if the three brainiacs were having a good time. She was gravitating toward the one person closest in age, though.

But on seeing what was going on - the three guys picking on May, with her hating every second of it and trying to use James as a buffer - Billy didn't want to push or to come off as too … needy. Especially if James wasn't telling him things like when grandfathers attack. So instead of trying to find out what had happened, Billy did the wisest thing he could think of and kept it _light_ with a few comments on how James looked and a few emojis. But it wasn't long before he had to ask how things were going with May in the middle, too. He cringed at himself as soon as he'd sent it, but … it was too late to take it back. But the response felt almost mixed.

 _Mayday really isn't helping much one way or the other_ , James wrote - which was both a little dismissive of her while also going back to her nickname.

Billy _knew_ that he and May had been a pretty serious item, but again, he knew that more from the spilling that their friends had done. Not so much what James had said.

"Hey! Are you going to be here with us or are you going to daydream about your man-candy all night?" Kate teased before she reached over to steal Billy's phone.

"Like you're not texting Nate," Billy said, turning away from her to keep it to himself, not that it did him much good with Mia there to snatch it away then teleport to the other side of Kate, smiling at the string of texts as soon as she looked.

"Awwww, you two are so _sweet_ ," Mia said, her tail swaying behind her. "I thought it would be more steamy than 'oh, I miss you why can't we be kissing' kind of stuff."

Kate snatched the phone from Mia. "If it was, all the more reason for you _not_ to read it!" When Billy tried to take it back, Kate held it tight to her chest, protecting it. "I'm not going to read it. I'm just going to keep you from going off the deep end when we're _supposed_ to be having a movie night!"

Billy paused just long enough to decide on his course of action and lunged to steal _Kate's_ phone. Which he managed to get as Kate protested loudly in his ear. Clearly, she'd thought he was going for his own phone. "Fine. But I'm keeping yours _and answering_ Nate's awkward flirting myself until you give mine back."

Kate grinned in spite of the situation, but it was pretty clear neither one of them wanted to share their texts. "Trade on three. And no more having a whole facial journey while staring at your phone."

"You're one to talk," Billy laughed. "You should see yourself when you and Nate have your telepathic flirting sessions in public."

"I'm not that _bad_ ," Kate defended with wide eyes, thunderstruck at the accusation, but she ended up throwing a pillow at her friends when Mia slid over to sit by Billy, nodding solemnly.

"You really are," Mia said.

* * *

Scott had been increasingly quiet around all three of his kids, and not one of them had missed it. At all. Family dinners were getting less frequent from the kids' work with the two teams, and when they did happen, they were mostly in silence. No one wanted to talk about much of anything to avoid hitting the wrong nerve.

The four of them were more or less staring at each other as Nate tried to _casually_ mention that he needed a sign up time for Scott to talk to his homeroom teacher, who also happened to be his history teacher. And the more Nate tried to press the subject, the more James and Rachel were sharing a raised eyebrow look Nate's way.

 _You're not subtle, Nate,_ Rachel projected to him. _You're lucky Dad's distracted, or he'd bust you for matchmaking._

 _Why do you think I'm trying?_ Nate replied. _Look at him. He needs the help._

Rachel bit her lip as she watched Scott. _Okay, but your history teacher?_

_She's nice, she doesn't take crap from anybody, and she's always gushing about her nieces and nephews. Dad needs 'normal family woman' so…_

_You just want Dad distracted with Ms. Hale so you can get distracted with Kate._

_Not 'just'..._

_Uh-huh,_ Rachel said, and Nate shot her a dirty look.

"Hey, Dad," James said, blatantly ignoring that his siblings were again clearly having a telepathic chat. Especially when what he had to ask would make some waves. _Especially_ after Magneto's little warning. But just because Magneto didn't approve did not mean that Billy didn't want to move forward. And he'd been gently hinting to see if James had even asked about the trip. It was pretty clear that Billy was concerned that Erik was going to chase him off, but James wasn't going to let Magneto mess up what he thought was a good thing. Even if he was concerned his dad might not be as approving after the incident in the lab. "Spring break is coming up pretty soon." When Scott didn't really seem to react much, James pressed on. "So if you don't have plans already, Billy invited us to go to Genosha for the week. He wants me to officially meet his parents, and he asked me to extend the invite to you, too."

Scott looked up in obvious surprise at that. "Wait, what?"

James frowned at him as he answered slowly. "Billy invited us to Genosha for spring break. I'm asking if we can go, since I'm sure you don't want me to go alone and probably end up locked up for breathing or looking like I do."

Scott blinked at James slowly and then nodded. "Alright."

For a moment, James looked surprised at how quickly that had happened - with no further questions at _all_. He blinked a few times and glanced at his siblings. "Great, I'll let him know you're on board. Thanks."

"Absolutely," Scott said, looking back down at his dinner, though that just left the three kids sharing confused looks across the table.

 _He can't wait to get rid of me,_ James projected to Rachel, only halfway joking and still in shock at how easily Scott had rolled with it.

 _No, that's not it,_ Rachel said. _He_ wants _to go to Genosha… but he's blocking me on why._

 _Yeah, that can't be good,_ James projected.

 _He didn't mean to let me know he was thinking that way, but he was so…_ pleasantly surprised _when you brought it up..._

 _Doesn't make me feel any better,_ James said. _This has that whole 'hiding things' stink to it._ He frowned to himself and then pointedly took his phone out to text Billy - just to see if Scott would say anything like he _used_ to do.

"Phones at the table," Scott said after a beat too long.

"Just checking for a _pulse_ ," James said, then finished his text before he put the phone down.

Scott looked up and saw that all three of the kids were watching him, and he let out a small breath. "Sorry," he said. "I've just been distracted."

"So let us un-distract you," Nate said.

"Right." Scott cleared his throat. "This homeroom teacher - I thought I already went to the parent night before the semester started."

"I may or may not be failing history," Nate said.

" _Nate_." Scott was suddenly much more engaged in the conversation. "If you can't keep your grades up, you can't be on any team at all."

"Yeah, I know," Nate said. "But that's why she wanted to talk to you. That's what I was trying to tell you."

"I'm sorry; I -" Scott took a deep breath and, seeing how the kids were looking at him, decided to tell them at least _some_ of it. "An old friend of mine reached out to me. I'm sure you remember Kitty. She's worried about… everything. I told her I'd … well, I'm trying to ease her mind."

"So …you're agreeing to let me go to Genosha because it's _tactical_ ," James said slowly.

Scott nodded. "Kitty is worried about Magneto stepping out in the open again. Historically, he's been reasonable when he's left to his own devices, but when he's on a mission like this, everything falls to the wayside and he doesn't stop unless - well, it used to be that the professor would remind him he wasn't a monster…"

"And it's got you worried enough that you totally missed the reason behind the trip," James said, raising an eyebrow. "Awesome."

"I'm sorry, James," Scott said, reaching out to put a hand on his arm. "I was listening. I think it's great that Billy invited you, and I'm glad you've found someone like him that wants you to be more involved in his life. I really am."

"Good," James said. "I'll take that double standard." But at that, Rachel telekinetically tipped his chair back and rolled her eyes at him.

Scott shook his head at them both. "Anyway, this trip will let me get a good idea of how far off the beaten path Magneto is so I can help Kitty," he explained. "So, yes, I was distracted. I'm sorry."

James nodded slowly as Scott seemed to at least begin to tell them what was going on, and after a little while, he reached out to Rachel again. _First thing tomorrow, I'm going to finish the panic buttons with no metallic components. If he's this worried, we should have them for the trip - and we should be able to leave some with Kitty and the others._

 _Agreed,_ Rachel replied. _And see if you can manage to drop one on him without him noticing. He's definitely holding back, and he's got that look like he and Natasha get when they're about to overhaul the security._

_You want a bug on Dad? Really? Or just a tracer? Either way, I'm going to have to make something that will go around the tech in his eyes, too._

Rachel paused and bit her lip. _Just a tracer. For now. I'd feel weird spying on him, and it does sound like he's trying to help._

_But not weird trying to pick it out of his head._

_Oh, like I don't spy on everyone that way,_ Rachel said with a shrug.

_My point is what's the difference?_

_Well… he can block me telepathically,_ Rachel said. _So it's … it feels more invasive to eavesdrop anyway._

 _Alright, got it. You want to be the one to hear it,_ James teased. _Like the Punisher but with eavesdropping._

_That's not what I said!_

_I'll get the tracer, sis. Don't worry._

Rachel let out a breath of a laugh. _Alright. And… if we still don't feel like we know enough after you get back from Genosha, then we can old-school spy._

 _I'll try to put one on him when we're in Genosha,_ James said. _Ready or not._

_Might help us if we eavesdrop on Magneto…_

_I'll try to wear one when I'm stuck around him too,_ James said. _I know it'll have to happen._

_Be careful. If Dad's this worried, enough to actually put himself out there, in the field..._

_I know. This is bad._

_Something goes wrong, reach out to me and the Avengers, please. Me first. If Dad's in trouble, or my little brother…_

_Sure you don't want to go too?_ James asked. _I'll bet Billy wouldn't mind._

Rachel paused. _Maybe I will,_ she said at last.

 _Might help him focus if_ all _of us weren't off doing missions while he's gone._

 _Very true. And he'll probably make Nate study all break,_ she teased.

_Which won't be possible if Kate's around to help him._

_He's not even really failing. He'll be fine. He knows the material._

_Yeah, but like Dad's going to let it stand at that. This is obviously a set up._

_Honestly? I think Dad doesn't see it. Which just means the Magneto thing is so bad…. That maybe this setup will work. Which is kind of nuts._

_Good,_ James said. _He's been unhappy for too long._

 _Fingers crossed,_ Rachel agreed before she got up and smiled at Scott. "Come on, Dad. Let's have a movie night. We haven't done that in forever."

* * *

It took a solid week to schedule out all the repairs to the lab and to have the work actually done, and yet, by the time Tony's workers were moving the equipment back into James' lab, the boy still hadn't said more than a handful of words to any given Avenger about what had happened in the lab between himself and Magneto. So naturally, Tony felt like it was time to step in and make sure that his favorite of the team was actually okay. The trouble was finding the right time to do it.

As soon as the last workers cleared out and James started setting things up, Tony dove in with him, getting the more delicate equipment set up properly so they could run some tests to make sure everything was in good working order. Magneto's little hissy fit had set his work back considerably.

His computers were humming in the background rebooting and preparing for whatever might be asked of them as they started on the last of the equipment, and Tony paused when he saw a mass of ceramic circuitry. "What … are you working on here?" He turned the mass over in his hand, frowning at the vague familiarity of it, and barely getting ahead of James' explanation as he realized that it had been in the base of the 3D printer he'd made.

"As soon as the team started up, I began working on better communication systems," James said. "You knew that. You came in to yell at me after I made the panic buttons."

"Yeah but this …"

"Is a grade or two above what I came up with for the prototypes," James finished, then turned toward Tony with his arms to his sides. "I know everyone thinks I have a death wish, but I _don't_. I had no intention of facing Magneto with metallic components. That-" he gestured to the mass Tony was holding. "Is hopefully, a way to go around him so if we end up needing help you won't have to listen for the silence and the news reports."

Tony blinked and glanced at James as he continued setting up his equipment. "Is _this_ what you're printing and didn't want to tell me about?"

James didn't turn around as he kept working. "No. I'm printing what it's going to be housed in." Finally he turned and gave Tony a significant look. "It's not just the new team that I want to see protected from this guy in particular. You might be freaking out about what happens to your company down the road, but what about _now_? What about Jan? Or the rest of the team? If you _know_ you're going to eventually face a guy that manipulates metal, why the hell would you bring him some when you end up talking to him?"

Tony couldn't dampen the smile that was cropping up in spite of himself. "So what's your plan now?"

"Finish your armor _first_ , because he will definitely come back at some point and I want to know that you have that much at least. Then I'm going to re-create everything here that I can in this new material to replace anything metallic in my lab. He had too much to work with last time. No reason to make it so easy."

"James, half the city is metal," Tony pointed out.

"I'll deal with it," James said with a grim smirk. "Don't worry. I've got a few contingencies in place. I just need to build them and test them."

"Ah. And we're back to the devious look. Good," Tony said, nodding before he set the circuits down and simply started working with James to make things go a little quicker. "You mind if I ask what your boyfriend thinks of his grandfather threatening you?"

James hedged for a moment, but kept working. "I maybe didn't give him specifics when he asked what happened."

"Why not?"

"I don't want to be the source of any discord between him and his family," James said. "And without even trying, I already am. So I'm not going to make it worse. Either Magneto will find a way to cope or Billy will get tired of me."

Tony frowned, but didn't stop working. "And if neither of those things happens?"

"It'll be one or the other," James said, then blew out a breath. "If you really need to talk though, could it be about something … _not_ Magneto related?"

"Sure. As soon as Magneto stops trying to threaten you into … something. Are you ever going to tell me what he said to you?"

"No," James said quietly.

"Hey. You know that even if I didn't want you to take over for me down the road, I still want you _safe_ , right?"

James was thankful Tony couldn't see the look on his face at that moment, because the idea that he was safe at this point was laughable. Chatter was up - he knew that from watching Natasha, and any promise that the tower was a safe haven was up in smoke since Magneto stuck his nose into things. It was all the more irritating when he knew that now he _couldn't_ tell Billy where the real house was since that could get back to Magneto and put his family at risk. But instead of voicing any of that, he did what was quickly becoming the norm for him and did what he could to ease Tony's mind. "Yeah. Love you too."


	42. New Age of Mission Prep

The week before Spring Break, Scott found himself at Nate's high school to talk with his history teacher, Ms. Hale, while Nate was still at football practice after school. He hadn't been as active at the school as he had been when the kids were younger, so he wasn't as well-known outside of the coaching staff, who knew him well.

Ms. Hale was a short, slightly plump woman with brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, but Scott was impressed as well with the way she had her classroom set up. There were reminders around the room of upcoming events, each section of the room was dedicated to a different theme… The kids had visual reminders everywhere of what they were learning and what was due.

Which should have been perfect for Nate, so Scott was already frowning to himself even as Ms. Hale looked up with a smile.

"You must be Mr. Mueller," she said.

"And you must be Ms. Hale," Scott said, shaking her outstretched hand.

She smiled and nodded. "Please, sit down," she said as she sat behind her own desk, and once Scott was seated, she didn't wait to get right to it. "I'll be honest: Nate should _not_ be failing my class. He's a good student, and he's got a stellar record not just on the team but in his other classes. And I know he knows the material."

Scott frowned at that. "It's not like him to fall behind in _any_ of his classes," he agreed.

"And that's why I wanted to talk to you," Ms. Hale said. "I don't think this is a problem with my class. I think this is behavioral. But he's a model student. He's only ever been in trouble here with his girlfriend, and that's typical teenage behavior."

"Tell me about it," Scott said in a sigh.

"So I want you to tell me, Mr. Mueller, why your son is failing my class for attention."

Whatever Scott had been expecting to hear from this conference, that was clearly not it. "I - what?"

"He's a star football player, he has a girlfriend who adores him, he's well-liked - the only conclusion I can come to is that he wants either my attention or yours, and considering how much trouble he gets up to with his girlfriend, I sincerely hope it's not mine he's after," Ms. Hale said, one eyebrow raised.

Scott shook his head at that. "He's never done anything like this before," he said, then paused. "Well, we have been disagreeing lately. But-" He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I'll talk to him. He knows better than this, and he knows better than to disrespect his teachers just to get my attention."

"I've seen worse, you know," Ms. Hale said gently, obviously seeing that Scott was bothered.

"Not the way I raised my kids," Scott said. He shook his head and got to his feet. "I'm sorry he decided to use your class to do this. You shouldn't have been pulled into our private argument."

"It's been my experience that if one of my kids is crying out _that much_ for attention, maybe you want to try something different," Ms. Hale suggested.

"I go to all his games, and we go fishing during the summer," Scott clarified. "He gets plenty of attention. This is … something else entirely. A very old fight that's been going on since he was a kid. I'm sorry he pulled you into this."

"Mr. Mueller, if there's something I can do-"

"If you learn how to get teenagers to stop rebelling, I'll personally build you a monument," Scott said with a small smirk. "It's fine."

"Still," Ms. Hale said, her head tipped to the side as she watched Scott, "these kids - all of my kids - mean a lot to me. And Nate really is a good student. I don't want to see him throw his potential away."

"Yeah, I can see why he chose you now," Scott said, shaking his head and smiling despite himself. "We've been talking a lot about his potential and what he wants to do after graduation."

"I thought he wanted to play college ball?"

"He's still figuring a few things out," Scott said. He let out a sigh. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I promise, I'll talk to him. He shouldn't be failing your class."

Ms. Hale nodded as she got to her feet, though her smile was soft as she took his hand to shake it again. "Don't be too hard on him, Mr. Mueller. He's talked about you sometimes in class, and it's obvious he looks up to you."

All at once, Scott put it together, and then he almost laughed. "Ms. Hale," he said, smiling despite himself, "my son was trying to _talk me up_. I'm so sorry. I think he's trying to set us up." He shook his head. "I should have realized as soon as - I'm so sorry. He thinks I need to start dating again."

Ms. Hale flushed high on her cheeks. "Oh. Really?"

Scott was still smiling and shaking his head. "I really am sorry you went to all this trouble. Nate means well; he really does."

"Obviously," she said, still flushing.

"Though this is the first time he's ever pulled a stunt like this," Scott said. "He must really like you."

"Yes. Well." Ms. Hale tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"It was nice to meet you, Ms. Hale," Scott said when it was clear she was still a little flustered. "Obviously, you're an amazing teacher, or my son wouldn't go to these lengths to get us to meet."

Ms. Hale nodded, though it wasn't until Scott was at the door that she let out a breath and said, "Well, maybe I'll see you at the football games. It would be nice to meet you outside of your son's matchmaking scenario."

Scott paused and then let out a breath. "Well, we'll see what happens come the fall season," he said, and Ms. Hale frowned a bit but nodded all the same as Scott left.

* * *

"Nathaniel Christopher Charles Summers."

James and Rachel shared a look where the three of them had been sitting together working out plans for their _own_ training exercises and all at once, the two of them gathered up their things, stood up and utterly abandoned Nate to their father without so much as a backward glance.

"Hi, Dad," Nate said as Scott stalked over and put a finger in the center of his chest.

"You do _not_ fail your classes just to try and set me up with your teacher," Scott said. "It's disrespectful to her, and it's not the way I raised you to behave."

"I won't fail," Nate said. "I'm pulling a 68, and I can get it up to-"

"That's not the point," Scott said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You arranged for your teacher to stay after school and take time out of her day on the pretense of - she was worried there was some kind of trouble at home and that you were acting out for _attention_ , you-" He shook his head. " _This is not how I raised you to behave_."

"Message received," Nate said, holding up both hands. "I won't do it again."

"Good. You're grounded," Scott said. "You're spending your break studying, and you're spending it under Ororo's watch, and she _will_ decide how best to keep you busy. Is that understood?"

Nate nodded.

"Good." Scott turned on his heel to leave.

"Yeah, but did you get her number?" Nate asked.

Scott closed his eyes and tipped his head back before he turned to face Nate. "Nate, my kids are X-Men, my old friend is worried about a megalomaniac - _what_ makes you think I want to date right now?"

"You _should_ ," Nate said. "You're all cooped up here trying to find new ways to shoot up your blood pressure." When Scott gave him a dry look, Nate shrugged. "Wouldn't kill you to try, Dad. And she's not even an Avenger or anything."

Scott stared at Nate before he shook his head. " _Unbelievable_ ," he said as he walked out of the door and headed for his room. "Just like your mother."

* * *

"You're sure you're alright with most of my family coming along, too?" James asked as he and Billy headed for the little movie theater in Salem Center. Scott had reached out to Wanda when Rachel and James asked if she could go along - and they'd even been sure to point out that Rachel might just be able to help him get a peek at what people on the island were thinking - not just the royal family, but the citizens too … for a more comprehensive look into what life on Genosha was like.

And although Scott was obviously hesitant at first, it was hard for him to deny the invaluable tactical advantage that could give him when weighing out how best to approach _all_ of it.

What was shocking to Scott, and his kids was the fact that Wanda sounded _relieved_ that Rachel would be coming too. And she'd even pressed to make sure Scott knew she wanted time alone with him to talk once he was there. But Billy didn't know any of that, and even Wanda had wanted to make sure that none of the Summers' said a word about it to Billy. Clearly, she knew something was wrong on Genosha.

"Seeing as Rachel would be the odd-woman out and stuck as the sole witness to Kate and Nate sucking face all day? Yes. She could use a little vacation from thinking she's in charge of everyone, and besides - I love your sister."

"Everyone loves Rachel," James agreed as he took a hold of Billy's hand as they walked down the sidewalk.

But aside from that, James fell quiet for most of the date. It wasn't until the movie was over and they were headed back to the Jeep before Billy decided to step up and break the ice. "You've been more quiet than usual," he said. "Is everything alright? You're not like … trying to break up with me easy, are you?"

James blinked as he turned toward him, looking alarmed. "What? Why would you - _no_." He had stopped cold and pulled Billy to a stop with him. "I thought we were okay."

"We are," Billy said, quickly stepping closer to lower his voice. "But you've been in your head a lot, and that only happened after I asked you to come meet my family. I figured you were freaking out and rethinking _all of it_."

James shook his head, frowning at that as Billy continued. "Especially when you didn't tell me that it was _just_ your lab that my grandfather trashed."

"Oh." James lost all of his frown and he dropped his gaze to his hands. "It wasn't a big deal. No one got hurt. I just lost a coffee from it."

"The horrors."

"Well, Kate had bought it for me, so yeah. _Horrible._ "

Billy couldn't quite stop the smile, though he still didn't like that James hadn't disclosed the whole story. "You can tell me if my grandfather is trying to bully you. He does it to everyone, but that doesn't mean I'm okay with that."

"That's just it," James said, looking up to meet his gaze. "I don't want you to have to play referee. And I don't want the misunderstandings I've had with your grandfather to screw up your relationship with him."

"He shouldn't be bothering you, though."

"I can take it," James promised, then forced a little smile. "You asked me to meet your family. You're taking me halfway across the world _to meet your family_. That's a big statement. You're not the only one falling hard. If you were, I wouldn't want to go. I _will_ find way to cope with your grandfather. I'm going to have to if we keep going like we have been."

Billy grinned at him for an instant before he darted forward and kissed him. "He is a pain, and the more I'm away from him, the more I see how _much_ of a pain he is. But I appreciate you trying to keep the peace with him."

"He's your family," James said. "He _can't_ be entirely bad. I'm just at a disadvantage that he hated my parents."

"He'll get over it," Billy said, grinning wider. "He's going to have to if he wants me to take his place."

"That's not what I was trying to say-"

"Too bad. That's how it is," Billy decided. "He just doesn't know you yet. He _will_ come around."

"No wishing for it," James warned.

"I wasn't going to," Billy swore, then smiled crookedly. "But I could."

James pulled him off the sidewalk and stole a kiss that went on right to the edge of what was permissible in public. "I can think of better uses for your concentration."

"When you start your argument like that, so can I," Billy said before the two of them redirected to the Jeep for a winding drive back to the school.

* * *

Although Toby and Scott had almost a standing appointment for breakfast together at this point, it wasn't solid and often got moved around during the week. Though this week, there was something distinctly different in the air when Toby got to the Mueller home.

"You have a lot on your mind, don't you?" Toby asked with a frown as he watched Scott turning a bottle cap over in his hands.

"You could say that," Scott said, then let out a sigh. "We're going on a trip for spring break. Nate's in trouble and is staying here with a friend of mine who will keep him away from his girlfriend and out of _more_ trouble, but if you could keep an eye out… This friend of mine doesn't get out much. Physical mutation."

"Sure," Toby said, looking surprised that this was Scott's first option. "But that's not all that's bothering you, is it? Nate and Kate … that's going to be an eventuality. This … is not that."

Scott let out a slight breath. "It's going to be an eventful trip," he said simply.

"Why is that?" Toby asked, settling in as a sign to Scott that he wasn't going _anywhere_ until he understood what had him looking _like that_. "For a guy going on vacation, you don't look like it's something you're looking forward to."

"It's not really a vacation," Scott said in a sigh, then clarified. "Part of it is. We're going to see James' boyfriend's parents - who are old friends of mine and also happen to be my brother's in-laws, so there will be family there."

"That … is a mouthful," Toby said. "So what's the part that's _not_ going to be vacation-like?"

"They live on Genosha," Scott said.

For a moment, Toby outright paused, clearly reordering his thoughts. "These friends on Genosha …. Are they okay? You're spending vacation with - " Before Toby could finish his thought, he cut himself off. "Are the boys getting _serious_ then? Is James thinking of relocating?"

"No, nothing like that," Scott said quickly. "If anything, I think Billy would want to stay _here_ permanently. He doesn't get along with his grandfather all that well unless Magneto has him isolated from everyone else, and frankly, Billy's flourishing outside of his shadow. Even if his grandfather is pushing to go back to the status quo."

"Who does get along with him?" Toby couldn't help but blurt out, then quickly held up both hands. "No offense, of course. But the guy's nuts."

Scott smirked. "Yeah, that's the problem. Family dinners with Magneto in attendance."

Toby waved a hand. "Your boy can smooth it over, I'm sure. As long as the old man doesn't take issue with both of them being _boys_ , anyhow."

"Actually, Magneto has taken exception to James' mutation, not the fact that they're both boys. He always thought the feral mutation was beneath him and he was sure to let James know what he thinks about him dating his _favorite_ grandson already."

Toby's hand hit the table with a thud. "Wait. The guy that shouts down that all mutants are superior gets to pick and choose _himself_ what's alight and what's not?"

"Why do you think we fought him all the time?" Scott pointed out. "And now that he's being more public, he's just getting worse."

"Honestly, I figured you fought with him because he was a royal pain in the rear to everyone," Toby said.

Scott shrugged. "That too. But he always had his favorites. He'd try to recruit us - regularly - and dismiss others outright."

"You mean people he'd be able to _lie_ to easier," Toby said.

"Well, that - and people he thought would give him more power. I know for a fact he was disappointed we chose not to live on Genosha, especially given Nate and Rachel's potential."

"What made you decide to leave, if you don't mind my asking," Toby said. "Hard to imagine that you'd find a better, _safer_ hiding place outside of there."

"The kids," Scott said. "Rachel was spending all her time trying to comfort everyone else instead of dealing with her own grief, and James was terrified of every newcomer who might come to take him or me away… Nate enjoyed it, though."

"Of course he did," Toby said, shaking his head. "He was just barely a toddler, wasn't he?" He let the conversation settle, then leaned forward. "So … what's going on then, Scott? Because I can see something is up. You're not yourself."

"I'm fine, Toby," Scott said, waving him off.

"You haven't been fine since - " Toby stopped. "... you haven't been yourself lately."

"I'm _fine_ ," Scott said again. "I'm busy, and this trip to Genosha and my boys and their relationships are obviously a lot to juggle, that's all."

Toby clearly wasn't buying it. "And all the other things, too, hmm? When were you going to talk to me about all the _other things_?"

Scott rubbed a spot between his eyes. "Toby…"

"They're doing good work, Scott," Toby said. "And they're making a difference already. You don't see it because you're too close, but it's not the same as it was before."

Scott sighed. "You know I'm proud of them, Toby. I _am_."

"Of course you are," Toby replied as if it wasn't even a question. "But I also know you worked hard to give them distance from that life. You're not _fine_ after spending all that time protecting them. You can't be fine to watch them go and _follow in your footsteps._ "

"I can't change it either, Toby. You said yourself they're doing the right thing. I can't in good conscience ask them to _stop_."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Toby said gently. "But that still doesn't cover you. Really. How are you, and if you say 'fine' I'll throw something at your head."

"Doesn't seem like a thing a rabbi should be doing," Scott teased lightly.

"It's a good thing that I'm your friend then, and I can do those things."

Scott smirked and then shook his head. "I'm… doing what I can to support them. And that includes talking to Magneto and trying to redirect his attention _away_ from them if I can."

Toby sat back on hearing that. "So it's a tactical move, then. That's what's got you so far off of yourself."

"He thinks James is animalistic and would like Kate off the team entirely - and I can't risk him _acting_ on that," Scott said. "And he would."

Toby scoffed. "Did he miss the whole lecture that that Xavier did on coexistence?" Toby said. "That girl is doing what _no one_ before her did on that team. And your boy? I know they're supposed to be 'secret' identities, but I have to tell you, Scott. No one has missed the way that young man can be with the little kids. Even with the mask on, it's clear who's under there. How is that 'animalistic'?"

"I'm hoping he's seen as much since I last spoke to him, but…" He sighed. "I have a friend in Genosha. She's … been keeping an eye on Magneto. As much as she can. The fact that I'm going there _myself_ to try to talk him down…"

Toby's concerned expression deepened somehow. "Do your kids know all of this?"

"Not all of it," Scott said. "Part of that is just because I haven't worked out the final details for myself - and probably won't until I can talk to my contact."

"So are you working with the team or are you doing this all on your own - this … negotiations or whatever you want to call it."

"Yes and no," Scott said. "The team can't get close to him. I can. But they can give me insight."

"Okay. So. Best case scenario …. What happens from this trip?"

"I get Magneto to back down and let the new X-Men carry on our legacy without his interference."

He leaned forward further. "And worst case?"

"I stop him."

"How?"

Scott gave Toby a look that Toby had simply never seen before that showed exactly how haunted Scott still was from the loss of his team. "Whatever way is available to me."

"Scott .." Toby rubbed a hand over his eyes. "You are dealing with a lunatic. I know you have at least a dozen plans in place. You have to, but … this doesn't even sound like your usual thinking."

"This visit is as much about seeing for myself what's going on as it is about James and Billy," Scott said. "Consider it intel gathering before I can make a better plan."

Toby sighed. "Okay. I hear that line of thought. It's reasonable. But … what happens if he doesn't let the kids off the island this time out? I've heard the rumors about that place and how it's a one way street."

"Then I guess I'll have to step up the fight faster than I'd like."

"Step up and do what, though?" Toby asked. "I know you can fight, I'd be stupid to believe otherwise, but tell me you have _something_ in mind. Something concrete. Not just a vague 'I'll handle it.'"

Scott was quiet for a long time before he nodded. "It's a matter of being close enough. And being underestimated without my powers. Yes, I have a few plans. I just need to be close. But those are the worst-case scenarios. I'd rather get intel and regroup - I don't want the kids in the line of fire."

"I really want you to _come back_ and tell me how this goes," Toby said. "Because I know I can't do anything about it but bring Nate a pizza or two while you're gone."

"Don't worry," Scott said. "I'm not going to risk the kids. I'll get them back here."

"With you."

"Now _you're_ not sounding like yourself," Scott said.

"You're rubbing off on me," Toby defended with a shrug.

"Toby, we'll all be back before you know it, I'm sure. This really is a preliminary step, not a final one."

"I hope that's true," Toby said.

Scott nodded, then paused as he seemed to consider something. "Just… keep an eye out for the kids, please. All of them."

"That'll be hard to do when you have two of them in Genosha, but sure. I'll keep an eye out while you're _temporarily out_."

"Thanks."


	43. Welcome To Genosha

The day the Summers family and the Maximoff twins were set to head off to Genosha, naturally, things couldn't happen on Scott's proposed timeline. Billy was set to go, as promised, but Tommy … Tommy was in no rush for the first time in the history of _ever_. Billy and James shared a look, but kept their commentary to themselves as Tommy dragged his feet over leaving Mia behind.

Mia wasn't making it any easier, either. She was soaking up the attention as Tommy made it clear that he'd rather stay in Westchester. With her. And even if Ororo had been irritated with him for how fast the two of them were moving, she had to admit … the way he treated Mia was _awfully_ sweet.

"You're going to miss your flight," Mia said quietly, though James heard her loud and clear from the other side of the foyer.

"Hard to do when it's a private plane," Tommy argued, then stole another kiss. He looked over his shoulder at the group waiting for him. James was pointedly looking between his shoes and Billy, refusing to look their way while Billy did his best to try and give him some little bit of privacy. Rachel, however was openly smiling and not even trying to hide that she was telepathically eavesdropping.

Scott however, didn't look amused - even if Ororo seemed to be enjoying it.

"Your brother is a lot sweeter than he lets on," Rachel said quietly to Billy as Mia broke into a giggle and Tommy _finally_ zipped over.

"Don't tell anyone," Billy replied, then took James' hand as they headed for the waiting jet.

"Are you going to be able to _survive_ a week away from your sweetheart?" Rachel teased as she walked next to Tommy.

"Definitely not," Tommy said, then smirked crookedly to himself. "But … I don't really _have_ to."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rachel asked, unable to not smile along with him.

"Nothing," Tommy replied, resolutely focusing on something _else_ since he did like to keep his secrets and the nosy telepath thing was _so_ overplayed. If he could keep a few things to himself - or better yet, he thought - _think_ too fast for Rachel to track - then all the better for him. In the meantime, he had a whole flight to suffer through listening to his brother flirt. Even if he was pretty sure Billy would restrain himself while he was so closely in earshot of _Scott_.

* * *

Genosha was somehow both exactly what the Summers family had expected to see - and not at all what they'd expected.

It was just as big and imposing as they'd assumed it would be, but it also had a whole population full of mutants out in the open like Alex had told them about when he would come to visit. There were plenty of physically mutated people, since they were more likely to hide away on an island than anyone else.

People flying, powers flashing… it was what Magneto had promised. Except for the big metal walls and the feeling of unease that Rachel could sense as soon as they arrived. That feeling had her taking an unconscious step closer to Scott. She hadn't expected the people on Genosha to feel the same way the people in Westchester did - separated from the world - but it was also clear that they were just as worried about being a target as the people at the school. Because Magneto was out in public, threats on Genosha seemed inevitable, and then where would these people go when they had literally run away to a far-flung island to find peace?

 _You alright?_ Scott projected to her. He seemed hyper-aware of her and James now, and she saw him walking ahead of them both almost like he was acting as a shield. She didn't think it was a conscious decision, either.

 _I'm alright,_ she promised. _Everyone seems a little edgy. A lot of people think that Magneto stepping out and causing trouble is going to make them a target._

 _They're not wrong,_ was Scott's simple response, though before he could say anything more, Magneto himself met them there, along with Wanda, who rushed over to both of her boys with a broad smile to wrap them in hugs while Vision, not far behind her, asked them about how they liked school and if they'd made any friends.

"Yeah, have you met Billy's boyfriend?" Tommy said. "Because you should. My girlfriend couldn't come because Storm said she has to help prep for midterms, in case anyone was wondering."

"Nice to meet you," James said as he offered Vision his hand to shake, then managed to give Erik a tight smile. "James Howlett - the second."

"Vision," he replied, smiling as he took James' hand. "You look just like your father."

"Thank you," James replied with a little smile that he obviously meant. And Scott was watching him more carefully because of it.

"I promised I'd show him around," Billy put in as he took a hold of James' arm and pulled him away from Vision. "We'll sit down for dinner together later as a family, okay?"

Wanda smirked. "Just be back in time-"

"Thanks, Mom!" Billy said, grinning as he pulled James with him to head off, even with Erik glaring after them.

Scott shook his head before he gave Wanda a warmer smile - and she beat him to the hug. "It's been a long time," he said.

"Too long, if you ask me," Wanda said. "I kept hoping you'd come back and stay for a while. I'm so glad you're here. All of you."

"Hey, you've seen my kids. The youngest is still at home - he's the quarterback and he's failing history, so he's grounded," Scott said with a smirk. "I couldn't take them away from the friends they've made."

"Nate looks just like you, Scott," Wanda said. "I saw him in Westchester with that pretty little girlfriend of his. You've got trouble on your hands, you know."

"Oh, I know it," Scott said, shaking his head. "And he's got his mother's powers. So you can imagine how much trouble I'm keeping up with."

"You have to be getting a headache constantly just to keep your thoughts your own," she laughed. "Maybe we can send you home with one of father's helmets so you can get a break."

He couldn't help but smile for that one. "Hey, I was married to the most powerful telepath in the world. I know how to keep people out if I want. Rachel's not as powerful as her mother was."

"Speaking of," Wanda said, turning to Rachel. "You are simply _stunning_ , Rachel."

Rachel blushed. "Thanks," she said. "I get that a lot at school from the old X-Men."

"Are you at the school with my boys then?" Wanda asked. "It's been so long I can't remember how old everyone is anymore."

"Oh, I graduated," Rachel said. "I'm an Avenger now."

Wanda lit up. "You _are_? That's wonderful!"

Rachel resisted the urge to look over her shoulder at Scott. "Yeah, it took some convincing, but I love it."

"I loved my time on the team," Wanda said. "They really are the best friends you'll ever make."

"Well, there aren't too many my age that I'm not either related to or - well, probably going to be related to with the way Nate and Kate are going."

"Billy said they were given an invitation to join up," Wanda said. "It sounded like they were expanding their younger roster."

Rachel nodded with a smile. "Tony's still got everyone in training, but I wouldn't be surprised if Steve tells him to stop hemming and hawing and just let them be _official_."

"Tony means well," Wanda said, "But he really thinks he runs everything. All the time. Everywhere."

"When we all know Jan's really in charge," Rachel said with a crooked grin. "Especially since she and Tony got married."

"That was a very long tapdance," Wanda said.

"Well, she dated Dad first," Rachel admitted, dropping her voice to a whisper.

Wanda turned to look at Scott, one eyebrow raised. "What happened? Jan's wonderful."

"Jan got hurt," Rachel said, entirely serious now as she kept her voice down. "And Dad _can't_ lose anyone."

Wanda let her shoulders drop as she made her way over to give Rachel a little hug too. "You're such a wonderful daughter."

Rachel smiled as she returned the hug. "I was raised right."

"You sure were," Wanda agreed with a smile. "So … why don't you tell me about your brothers?"

"Do you want dirt on the one dating Billy or are you just asking generally?" Rachel asked with a troublemaking sparkle in her gaze that was so much like Jean's that Wanda had to laugh.

"I'm asking about both, but I'll take dirt too," Wanda laughed. "Billy's been very _vague_ about all of it. I wasn't even sure of who he was seeing until he mentioned wanting to bring him here."

Rachel linked arms with Wanda. "Well, I think he's just trying to protect James. Largely because James has never dated a boy before. But Billy really is _so_ sweet." Rachel was sure to play up how much Billy was liked, even if she wasn't sure yet if he was _trustworthy_.

"He really is," Wanda agreed. "But I am incredibly biased."

"You're supposed to be. I bet if you ask Dad anything about us, you'll get sunshine and optimism."

"Really? Sunshine and optimism from Cyclops? I can't wait to hear it," Wanda laughed.

"Well, just for _us_ ," Rachel clarified. "And only to other people. We definitely still get the 'how dare you break the rules' side of things, but to everyone else, Dad's all 'my kids are the world' and … you know how he is."

"He's a darling," Wanda said, smiling over at Scott as she led Rachel ahead of the others.

"High praise," Erik said to Scott as the two of them fell back a bit. Vision had of course, stuck to Tommy and was quietly quizzing him on all the trouble he'd been causing.

"My kids are biased," Scott said simply. "They know where they stand with me."

Erik nodded slowly. "We do so much to try to protect them."

"That's all I've been doing. You see how much they look like us."

"Yes, I've seen already how much they look like you," Erik said. "I'm honestly surprised that you let them step out of the house in those uniforms."

Scott stopped walking and turned on his heel to face Erik. "That," he said, "was _your_ fault."

"Excuse me," Erik said, sounding perfectly insulted.

"You show up talking about how mutants need a voice, and my kids - who were raised on stories of the X-Men and what we _really_ believed - took you up on it," Scott said, drawing himself up with his chin tipped up. "You wanted more mutants out in the open? Well, there they are. Fighting for what they believe. I hope you're happy."

"Perhaps they simply need someone to guide them," Erik said in a thoughtful tone, even if he'd been carefully choosing the words to use in this conversation for _months_. "Someone to keep a close eye on them and guide them."

"Right now, what they _need_ is to stay small," Scott said. "They're still learning _how_ to be X-Men. It's only been a few months." He frowned Erik's way. "I agreed to come here so I could get the chance to tell you to be _careful_ with my kids. I can't lose them."

"I'm not sure why you'd think that I would harm them," Erik said. "I haven't had any trouble with them yet."

"You mean besides that display in my son's lab," Scott said dryly.

Erik scoffed, waving one hand dismissively. "The boy was unharmed. I was under the impression that it was his idea to keep things _quiet_ and I have yet to see _anything_ that would make me believe that the boy isn't simply stringing young William along. As I understand it, there hasn't been an interest in other young men. The circumstances seem questionable at best. Especially considering his _background._ "

"I raised him myself," Scott said with narrowed eyes. "Not only to have _respect_ for himself and others but to look out for people around him." He tipped his chin up. "Regardless of _their_ backgrounds, _Magneto_."

"I'd imagine that that may be the trouble, considering who he _is_ close to. The fact that you still trust that elitist group of humans will never be something that I can understand. Their little team is a bit of a joke don't you think? Compared to what the X-Men used to be?"

"They're just helping people where they can. Stopping hate crimes, stepping in when they see the need. They're not reaching any higher yet because I _asked_ them not to go too big too fast," Scott said. "They'll stay out of your way as long as _you_ keep your attention on what's actually important. The bigger fish to fry."

"And that applies to all of them?" Erik asked. "I won't pretend like I'm not concerned that there might be one or two that are more headstrong and reckless."

"They're _kids_ ," Scott said. "They're teenagers. I have to get onto Nate for getting caught with his girlfriend behind the bleachers still. They're not adults, Erik. They make dumb decisions. And I came here to ask you to _let_ them."

"Yes, I heard you," Erik said. "I'm simply concerned for them, and the company they each chose to keep, that's all." He smiled more warmly. "We're on the same side, Scott."

Scott watched Erik for a long moment and then relaxed just slightly. "You know there's nothing I wouldn't do for them, don't you? I'm just trying to keep them from making my mistakes."

"Yes, And I feel the same way," Erik said. "The twins have been here from the moment of their birth. Seeing them out in the world that hates and fears them isn't something I was prepared to deal with."

Scott nodded. "I know," he said. "I hate it too."

"So tell me," Erik said. "Is it true that the only training they've received was Avenger's approved?"

Scott nodded, though he knew what Erik was getting at already since he disapproved of Kate. "They started out on the Avengers, since we never restarted the X-Men," he explained. He held up a hand before Erik could say anything. "And I'll thank you to stop telling the world we ran away. Some of us never recovered, and some of us still don't have any power." He gestured to his face and the three long scars. "Some of us can only keep our families safe."

"As much as I sympathize with you, Scott, the fact remains… the X-Men _did_ run away."

"The X-Men died with the professor," Scott said flatly.

"Then let's hope that you're wrong about that," Erik said. "Especially since both of my grandsons are wearing that badge now and the two of them are meant to be the future leaders of Genosha. The mutants of the world _need_ them to be safe."

Scott let out a breath and ran a hand over his face. "Erik," he said slowly, "we can't let _any_ of them get hit. Not like what happened before."

"Scott, I can't protect anyone that isn't on this island."

"Then why am I seeing you on the news bashing governments and stirring up trouble?" Scott shot back.

"I'm not _stirring up trouble_ ," Erik said defensively. "I'm putting the call out to make it _right_."

"And look what happened!" Scott said, finally raising his voice. "You resurrected a team with a price on their heads for _existing_ just by invoking our legacy!"

"If you and Storm hadn't decided that cowardice was the way to allow young people to survive, then I wouldn't have been forced to defend my old friend's _dream_."

"I'm not the one who restarted the school!" Scott shot back.

"No, but you are the one that raised the three that are at the _center_ of the X-Men's resurrection."

"I raised them on the professor's dream - of _course_ they responded to it-"

"And you're somehow surprised that they too said you were wrong to hide?"

"I can't lose them!" Scott shouted, though as soon as he said it, he blinked and let his shoulders drop. "They're still kids. I _can't_ lose them to the badge."

Erik was quiet for a long moment. "If they'll follow my lead, I can _protect_ them."

"They won't even follow mine; I doubt that's going to happen," Scott said with a hollow laugh.

"You'll have to convince them," Erik said.

Scott shook his head, looking up at the ceiling as he considered his options. "I don't know that they'd be willing to follow anyone but themselves right now," he said. "But they're still young, and the team is still new… it's possible."

"You work on your children, and I'll work on mine," Erik said with what passed for a warm smile.

This time, it was Scott's turn to be quiet for a long moment. "Just promise me something," he said slowly. "If you're about to kick a hornet's nest - the MRD, government programs, whatever - _tell me_ so I can keep them from getting caught up in something they're not ready to handle. Please."

Erik frowned but watched Scott for a long time before he finally nodded. "If nothing else, then to keep the twins safe. Yes."

Scott looked visibly relieved. "Alright," he said.

"We'll need to talk about _that_ little issue too, though," Erik said.

"I can't help you with that," Scott said. "I haven't been an X-Man in years, and I lost my powers." He smiled ruefully.

"I meant your _son_ ," Erik said.

"James knows the stories," Scott said. "He knows what his parents went through, and he knows what to look out for."

"But does he know that someone like those that used his parents would not hesitate to pick up _Billy_ if they couldn't get to James directly?"

"I gave all three of them a warning about protecting anyone they're close to as soon as they were old enough to understand it," Scott said.

" _Reinforce it_. That family naturally draws down more trouble than any other I've seen."

"He's _my_ son, Erik."

"So you keep saying, as if your influence alone would be enough to go against the nature of the beasts."

"Don't talk about my family that way," Scott said sharply. "James is one of the smartest and kindest people I have ever met. Bar none."

Erik let out a patient sigh. "Old prejudices." He barely broke stride as he started off again. "And I'm not the only one who feels that way, or you wouldn't have been hiding them so carefully for so long. If something were to change with the boy - _no one_ would be able to say you hadn't done all you could."

"I didn't come here to listen to you insult my friends' memory either," Scott said, his tone rising. "I came here because, and I can't stress this enough, our boys _like_ each other. Genuinely. I'm here for their sake, not your old prejudices."

Erik watched him for a long moment. "And that in itself could be a liability for both of them if the wrong person saw that to be true."

"I already told you that I'll talk to him," Scott promised. "And I'll keep an eye on things myself. You know I will. I'm _not_ going to let anything happen to those kids. Mine or yours. That's just not happening, even if I have to come out and fight myself." He shook his head. "Do you think I want them to end up like my team?"

"I think, Cyclops, that in some cases, it's unavoidable."

"I think, _Magneto_ , that if you're willing to accept that, you're not trying hard enough," Scott shot back. "The only one of my kids that I've had issues with on relationships is Rachel, and that's because she looks and acts so much like Jean. James, out of all of my kids, has been the most cautious. Careful. Protective."

Erik narrowed his eyes at that. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"You already have," Scott said. "Or did you miss that he was standing up for _me_ because you were so caught up in the fact that he was standing up _to_ you?"

"To be honest, he looks so much like his father, I didn't quite pay attention to what his _trigger_ was."

"He'll defend Billy just as sharply as he defended me. _He's_ not the one I'm worried about," Scott said. He shook his head. "You're slipping. Years ago, you would have known exactly what buttons you pushed so you could push them again and make Logan angry."

"Lets hope things resolve so I don't need to start looking on this one."

"You won't have to if you stay away from them," Scott shot back, though he was having trouble holding himself back when he knew Erik had already threatened James. His plan was to let Erik think he was vulnerable, but after years of trying to keep the kids safe, standing in front of the man who threatened them was itself an act of resolve. "I told you. They're staying small-time. Stop picking fights with my kids. You want to use the professor's name? Do some real good and fight the fights they're not ready for."

"We'll discuss this again later," Erik said dismissively. "Now, I'm sure you must be tired."

Scott let out a breath of a laugh. "I'm not too old to go a few rounds with you," he said. "But we'll be here for the week. I guess we can come back to it if you need the time to think it over." He smirked and looked around. "Are Kitty and Bobby still here? I haven't seen them since the kids were in elementary school…"

"Yes, they're around here somewhere," Erik said with a wave. "Wanda is more likely to be able to tell you where."

"I'm surprised you haven't asked them to join your crusade," Scott said dryly.

"I haven't asked any of the citizens here to leave for anything that isn't centered on Genosha."

Scott raised an eyebrow at that and then smiled lightly. "You know, that actually makes me feel better? Knowing you aren't raising an army?" He shook his head before he turned away again. "Guess things have changed. Nice to know Alex wasn't blowing smoke."

"I've become a bit more protective of those my daughters have chosen to marry," Erik admitted.

"Yeah. I know the feeling. Billy's been over for dinner every weekend, and Kate comes over all the time. The way things are going, I wouldn't be surprised if they get married young like Jean and I did."

"Let's hope _not_ ," Erik said.

Scott laughed. "Hey, can't stop love. Or didn't you know that?"

"It's a bit early to be calling it that," Erik bristled.

"You haven't seen the look on Nate's face." Scott waved a hand in his own direction. "I saw it in the mirror often enough. I know I'm sunk."

"Scott, please," Erik said.

Scott smirked and held up both hands. "Okay, okay. I'll confine our conversations to 'please don't get my kids killed' and 'yes, I'll look out for yours too'."

Erik made a tutting noise as he changed direction - by lifting off the ground. "Good luck finding your brother, Scott."

Scott chuckled and shook his head, though it didn't take him long to catch up to Wanda and the others on their tour, not when he just had to project to Rachel then follow her mental signature. "Can I ask you where Kitty is? Or Bobby? I was hoping to say hello while we were here."

"Of course," Wanda said, smiling up at him. "They were down by the courtyard a little while before you came. If they're not there, I'll send someone to find them."

"Thanks, Wanda," Scott said with a smile, heading down to the courtyard with his hands in his pockets.

Sure enough, Kitty and Bobby were both still in the courtyard, milling around and talking to each other - though when Kitty saw Scott, she nearly knocked him over with a running start and a grinning hug.

"Hey, Kitty," Scott said, shaking his head as he caught her.

"I can't believe I haven't seen you _in person_ in so long," Kitty said, snuggling in and wearing a grin. "I've missed you!"

"It's good to see you too," Scott said. "Even if I got invited here because my son is dating Magneto's grandson," he added, shaking his head at the situation.

"That … so it sounded a lot weirder than it looked," Kitty said. "They were through here a little while ago and I have to admit .. they're pretty cute together."

"I know," Scott said. "Wait until you see Nate and his girlfriend."

"It's just nice to see them _happy._ I was so worried for all of you for so long … now it doesn't seem like it was necessary."

Scott nodded. "That's the whole point, right? Why do you think I've been gone so long? A whole childhood and high school parade of hanging on by my fingernails with these kids. I had Luke Cage breathing down my neck at one point and Spider-Man having anxiety attacks after that. It's been … busy."

"So they're wearing you down is what you're saying," Bobby said, smirking to himself.

"Hey, James has his parents' powers and K's sense of humor," Scott said. "Rachel has the Phoenix… and Nate is dating the cheer captain."

"So the worst possible trouble in every scenario?" Bobby said as he crossed the distance and bumped Kitty out of the way to wrap Scott up - more emotional than he'd let on before as he _latched_ on to Scott.

"Woah." Scott took a step back and then hugged Bobby back just as tightly. "Hey, you okay?"

"I've missed you way more than should be possible."

"Sorry about that," Scott said.

"So on a scale of one to 'let's break out of this jail', how up to trouble are you?"

Scott smirked. "Where on that scale does 'winning Magneto's trust' fall?" he asked, dropping his voice at that.

"Seriously?" Bobby asked, wide-eyed. "Like … six points past the jail cell."

"Kitty said you guys were having problems," Scott said.

"Yeah, I'm not sure if it's senility or a late-life crisis."

Scott let out a breath. "How bad is it, Bobby?" he asked. "I know he's mad that everyone on the mainland is hiding their powers, but that's almost pedestrian for him."

"Yeah, well - the news from around the world isn't exactly all reaching the States then," Bobby said. "He's got spies in Latveria and a few other tiny little evil hell holes that are actually walking the line between detainment camps and open calls for no mutants."

"I haven't heard about anything like that," Scott said with a frown. "Things aren't ideal Stateside, but the Avengers have been shutting down anything that crosses the line into actual violence. They've been doing that around the world, too."

"Well, they've been missing a few spots. And the ones they've been missing are pretty substantial."

Scott let out a sigh and rubbed his eyes. "That would definitely get him angry. I'll tell the team, see if Natasha can dig into the worst places. She's usually on top of it, but she just had a little girl… and she's been busy digging into all the weapons programs watching the kids trying to defund them or distract them."

"Didn't know you kept so _close_ ," Kitty teased.

"Hey, Rachel joined the Avengers after she graduated, so we're in close contact. And, they helped me with the kids when a few people came looking for them. It hasn't been totally smooth sailing," Scott said.

"I thought Jean burned out all the trouble," Bobby said.

"She did. But you can't kill an idea," Scott said in a sigh.

"So okay. We can cover that later," Bobby told him. "How about a nice, private walk on the beach?"

"After you," Scott said, more than a little surprised that _Bobby_ was being paranoid and careful - though that more than anything else spoke to how things really were on Genosha.

Bobby was quiet for a long while, even after they were on the beach. In fact, they'd walked until the main spires of the city were starting to look a little foggy from how far they were from it. "So. This can't keep going," Bobby said.

Scott turned Bobby's way. "Kitty said things were bad here, but … I don't think I've ever seen you get _jumpy_ , Bobby."

"Yeah, well, spend years on the island of King Magneto and things change."

"You know you'd have been more than welcome with me or Ororo," Scott pointed out.

"That … would have required being allowed to _leave_ ," Bobby said. "And I've been caught at least half a dozen times trying to get out."

Scott frowned hard at that and put a hand on Bobby's shoulder, looking his friend over a little better. "Are you alright? I had no idea."

"Well of course you didn't," Bobby said. "Genosha _isn't_ a vacation destination."

"That and Alex has come to see us a few times," Scott said.

"Well that's a little different," he replied. "Royal family has special privileges."

"Yeah, I'm getting that idea," Scott said, frowning the more he heard. "What about the rest of the island? The people who weren't X-Men, I mean."

"Yeah, they don't get to go anywhere either," Kitty said. "Bobby's right. This is like … the Hotel California for mutant kind."

"It must be bad if you're the one making jokes and Bobby's being paranoid," Scott said.

"Desperate times, buddy," Bobby said.

Scott shook his head, looking out at the beach as he thought it over - and caught sight of Billy obviously showing off for James with a few magically created waves that they could surf that took them on an almost-rollercoaster of water. He shook his head to himself and then turned back to his old teammates. "So. I think I can get close to him. I just wanted to be sure…" He let out a breath. "I want to be sure he's not salvageable. That's what the professor would do."

"Alright, but the professor didn't have to live with him for this long," Bobby said. "He won't listen to reason."

"I'm starting to get that idea," Scott said. "I'm still going to try - but that's partly because he expects that from me. He won't trust me if I don't disagree with him sometimes." He paused. "But I can get close. I know I can."

"So … is this you coming out of retirement?" Bobby asked cautiously. "Because if it's not you, I'm afraid we might have to call in _Alpha Flight_ , and I'm pretty sure we'd rather just die of embarrassment first."

Scott scoffed. "We're not calling in Alpha Flight," he said. He held up a hand. "I'm not coming out of retirement. I'm just … helping some old friends."

"Well … we could ask the X-Men," Kitty said, doing her best to keep a poker face.

"We're _not_ involving the kids in this," Scott said. "You and I both know Magneto is dangerous. We keep this between us."

"Yeah, well … don't be surprised if you find him shadowing Billy and his _sweetheart_ while you're here."

"Yeah, I got that impression," Scott said with a sigh. "He's not happy about their relationship. He never did like Logan."

"I'm sure he thinks it's spiteful," Bobby added.

"Yeah, the universe has a way of rewarding stupidity," Scott said dryly.

"This has to be something awesome then," Kitty said. "What act of stupidity do you think he's paying for now?"

"Everything he ever said to Logan," Scott said. "Every last insult."

Kitty looked openly surprised by Scott's answer. "Well if that's the case, we ought to start planning the wedding because there is no way this is all he gets if it's for all _that_."

"We're hand-delivering karma for the rest of it," Scott pointed out, then let out a breath and looked more serious. "I'm going to start working on non-metallic weapons. Kitty, I need you to keep an eye on things and help me get on his good side. Don't hide that we're talking, either. Act concerned. I'm banking on him treating me like a desperate father trying to protect his kids, so if he thinks he can manipulate me, all the better."

"That ought to be an easy sell, all things considered," Kitty pointed out. "Since that has been exactly what you've been since you disappeared."

"Hey, all lies have truth in them," Scott pointed out. "But the point is: he doesn't trust you or he would let you leave the island or ask you to run missions with him. We can use that too."

"Alright," Kitty said with a nod. "We'll hold up our end. I know I don't have to tell you to play up his paranoia when he's already so wound up."

Scott nodded. "I'm trying to steer his paranoia away from my kids and onto better targets. I don't know if I can get close enough to stop him from lashing out just yet, and I'd rather he go after detainment camps than teenagers."

"That'll be fun since he's been _careful_ about ticking off Latveria."

"Birds of a feather," Scott said dryly.

"More or less," Bobby agreed.

Scott let out a breath and then pulled Bobby into a hug. "Don't worry," he said. "We take care of each other, right?"

"We used to," Bobby said. "I'd like to again."

"When this is all over, come to Westchester."

"Is that a promise?"

"Hey, Warren and Hank would love to see you too," Scott said.

"So when this is over, you, me, and them can go down to Harry's, huh?"

"We'll see," Scott said. "You may be busy convincing my brother and Lorna to step up here since I'm assuming Wanda doesn't want to mess with it. If she did, Erik wouldn't be trying to groom Billy for the job - and he _is_ too young to handle that. There's a whole island of people that will still need this place standing as a haven, and I'm sure Erik's going to knock me around when this does go down." He smirked. "This will be the one time you'll be less concussed and more eloquent."

"I'm still gonna need that root beer with you guys," Bobby said. "Never thought I'd miss the greasy burgers there …"

"The guys'll be thrilled."

"Hey. Not just them," Bobby said, poking him in the chest. "I've only been out of jail for a few months. I still need some hope here."

Scott let out a breath and then gave Bobby a tired smile. "Like I said, we'll see what happens. But sure, yeah. Harry's sounds good."

"Alright," Bobby said, though he wasn't really smiling at him. "I'm gonna hold you to that, Scott."

Scott nodded. "I'm going to go break up the love fest before James ends up egging Billy into something that will get us kicked off the island early."

"That might be what Billy's angling for," Kitty pointed out.

"He wanted James to meet his family."

"He wanted James to meet his _parents_ ," Kitty said. "From what I heard from Wanda, I wouldn't be surprised if the reason this got started between them was because Billy saw James yelling at Erik."

"You would have been proud," Scott said with a smirk. "He had every bit of Logan's anger - but K's creative eloquence."

"Oh man. How'd the old man take it?"

"Backed off fast," Scott said, looking proud.

"Nice," Bobby said, nodding his head.

"Yeah, those kids are something else," Scott said. "You'd be proud. I think they have a real shot at living up to the dream." He paused. "Not that they don't scare the hell out of me doing it."

"Then they're just like their folks, right?" Kitty said. "And the Dad that's been taking care of them the whole time."

"I raised them with stories of the professor's dream. I really shouldn't be surprised," Scott admitted, his gaze on the boys in the waves. He cleared his throat. "Anyway. I'll stay in touch. You just find me a way through Magneto's defenses once I'm in."

"That I can do," Kitty said. "We'll just need to stay in contact so I can disable everything. It's not the most advanced thing in the world, but it is maddeningly irritating."

"Yeah, but you'll handle it," Scott said, smirking her way.

"Oh sure, no problem," Kitty agreed, though her expression fell when Scott waved and headed to catch up with the boys.

"So," Bobby said over her shoulder, "you caught that too, right?"

"Oh yeah," she said, nodding along.

"Do we call it off?" he asked. "I mean, it's _Scott_ talking like that…"

Kitty sighed. "I think … we keep a close watch on him. Do everything we can to make sure this doesn't turn out as a disaster."

"Good, because that…"

"Maybe we should talk to Rachel," Kitty said. "She could at least confirm if it's him being … him, or if it's something … else."

"Yeah." Bobby shook his head. "We never should've busted up the team."

"That wasn't really our call," Kitty pointed out.

"You could've run it," Bobby said with a smirk.

"Probably should have," she agreed. "I just thought he'd recover from it better than the rest of us."

"Hey, it took _me_ a while to stop feeling like crap," Bobby pointed out. "I was part of the leadup to Logan snapping, remember?"

"So was he," Kitty said.

"Yeah. And then everything with Jean too. And we still don't know what happened to Charles…" Bobby rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah. I feel like we shouldn't be surprised."

"He just always seemed like he had it together the most."

"We'll just have to have his back until he _gets_ it back, right?" Bobby said. "That's what we do." He smirked. "Looks like we're X-Men again, Kitty."

"Some of us never really stopped, popsicle."


	44. Two Princes

While Billy was out cavorting in the waves, Tommy was soaking up the hundreds of questions from Wanda and Vision on how things were _really_ going in Westchester. It's not that his parents hadn't been in touch - they had been. It was more that they wanted to hear how he was handling things on his own when they knew that he was pushing someone _else's_ rules.

And maybe, they were a little curious on how he'd gotten into the younger Avenger's roster _so quickly_. They were pleased, of course, but … how the twins were presenting themselves meant a lot to both Wanda and Vision. They knew that Billy had been in close contact with Erik, right up until a few weeks before Spring Break, when he suddenly seemed too busy to answer Erik's calls. And that hadn't gone over too well with the old man, even if Wanda was secretly relieved.

She couldn't help but run her hand over Tommy's hair as he answered his father's questions and told them all about how things were going … not so much about his studies, but slowly, and mostly unintentionally letting them know that he … really was jealous that he couldn't find a way to get Mia to come with, too. Not as a 'Billy's boyfriend is here too' kind of thing, but because without being as overt about things as Billy was, Tommy was falling hard for the charming little Elf that lived in Westchester.

So it was good that Vision had more questions than Wanda - if for no other reason than she was stunned at how clearly smitten Tommy was - and how strikingly like Pietro he could be. Particularly when it involved matters of the heart. He kept his hand close, but it was _so obvious_ to her that he was just as deeply head over heels as Billy was. It made her miss her twin in a way that made her chest ache, though that could also be from how bittersweet it was to see both of her boys growing up so quickly.

When Wanda seemed to lose her voice entirely, and the questions dried up from Vision, Tommy realized how much he'd actually said, which stopped him entirely. "So. I ah … I think I need a little fresh air," Tommy decided, nodding to himself as he stepped back from his parents.

"Do you think you can tell your brother that we'll be gathering up for dinner at seven?" Wanda said, even as Tommy was jogging backwards away from them.

Tommy held up his phone and waggled it. "Just text him, I don't want to _walk in_ on anything." He grinned at his mother, who was already shaking her head an instant before Tommy was off like a shot. He ran to the northernmost point of Genosha before he glanced up at the guard on duty, winked theatrically with a two fingered salute and then took off at top speed due west.

It was stupid, he was sure, to even attempt the trans-Atlantic run without checking a few things first, but honestly … if he had to sit there for much longer _talking_ and not _doing_ , he was going to lose his mind anyhow. Why not challenge himself with rough seas if that was the case? The little stretch of Indian Ocean would be a fair warmup.

As luck would have it, it was pretty smooth for him, though. The big, rolling swells mid-sea were enough to get Tommy just a bit seasick, but at the speed he was travelling, getting soaked was a bigger concern as he could almost skip the tops of the waves more often than not. He realized just about the time that he saw land again that it _might not_ have been the best idea to run across the Atlantic. Especially since he wasn't nearly as fast _swimming_ as he was running.

 _I'm going to make sure I pick up a ziplock when I get to Westchester,_ Tommy thought to himself, then winced as he made landfall from the difference in impact. But now that he was on more predictable turf … he could really let loose. _And hope that Billy has his cell phone on if I go in the water._

* * *

Mia, meanwhile had been trying to get into the spirit of Spring Break like her family _usually_ did. She'd spent all day in the greenhouses with her mother as they tended to tender newly sprouted life for the massive garden they had planned out. Every year, the vegetable patch seemed to get larger and larger - well beyond what was required for the populace of the school. Especially when So many teenagers refused to _eat_ their vegetables.

Not that it slowed Ororo down one bit. She loved a challenge, and she loved adding new varieties to try and soothe those from far-different cultures. Which was how Mia found herself talking to a patch of shiso. It was a particularly pretty strain of Japanese lettuce - or close to lettuce as far as Mia could tell. Already the leaves were a brilliant almost neon green that looked far more cheerful than most of the spindly seedlings around the greenhouse. She picked the biggest leaves off to carry inside.

Betsy was having an emotional sort of day and had insisted on the chef preparing a full Japanese meal for the following day, which, as she'd been told by an almost teary-eyed Betsy, required fresh shiso.

Mia just _knew_ there was a story behind her tears, but now was not the time to ask. She didn't want to get emotionally invested in something that she couldn't relate to. Not when she just wanted to drop onto her bed and sulk. It was late, after all. And she'd been talking to sprouts all. Morning. long. But when she got up to her room - with streaks of dirt smudged across her jeans, she positively squeaked when she saw that her room wasn't empty.

"Hey. You think this will keep the water out if I fall in on the way home?" Tommy asked, holding up a freezer bag. He was wind-whipped, as usual, grinning crookedly, and reclined on her bed.

"Oh my God, you're insane," Mia giggled, then teleported over to steal a kiss. "Why do you need it to be waterproof?"

"I think there might be a storm on the way back. Waves were kinda big in the middle. I had to slow down so I didn't run _through_ them."

"You're a maniac," Mia said as she curled up next to him, perfectly happy to steal whatever time she could for a few moments. "How long are you here?"

Tommy picked up his head to look at the clock. "Um … I've got a _little_ time. I have to be back in time for dinner."

Mia looked out of her window.. "You're not really going to run in the dark are you?"

"It's … not that long of a run," Tommy defended. "So … not really, no. Genosha's only eight hours ahead. I just wanted to keep my track record up and give you a kiss goodnight before it did get too dark out to avoid hitting container ships"

Mia grinned wider. "How long did it take you to run here?"

Timmy shrugged, doing his best to look nonchalant in his answer. "Well … I couldn't go top speed over the oceans … and there was a whole area through Africa that really needs to be taken slow."

"To keep from falling off some tall, beautiful cliff?"

"Well … that and to keep from running face first into an Elephant."

Mia laughed delightedly then clapped her hand over her mouth, though Tommy was smiling wider at her as she tried to keep her amusement to a reasonable decibel level. Especially since it _was_ her bed time. "Tell me that happened."

Tommy grinned wider and pulled her closer to steal another long kiss - and then tell her exactly how his first trip had gone. "I promise I'll time myself when I go back."

"Just don't fall in the ocean," Mia said. The two of them got comfortable again, perfectly content to steal away in Mia's room for a while.

* * *

"You can't stay at the tower," Warren said to Nate, then sighed heavily. It was a nice change of pace to step out of Westchester for a little while, but he somehow wasn't expecting his old friend's son to be quite so _very little_ like what he remembered Scott to be as a teenager.

"But … it's more secure there, isn't it?" Nate asked with a crooked smile that was 100% Scott - but for entirely different reasons than Warren had ever seen Scott smiling like _that_. Or maybe not.

"I told you, if there's a mission the Avengers need you for, they'll come looking. I promised your dad that I'd stick to his list of rules since you got yourself _grounded_."

"Listen, Warren," Nate said as he dropped into the chair across from him. "You have to understand. I'm not failing because I'm bad at history."

"No, you're failing because you're trying to get your dad laid."

Nate's eyes widened - and Warren had to keep from laughing outright because _that_ … that was most definitely a face he'd gotten Scott to make in his youth more times than he could count. And it was hilarious every single time. "That is _not_ what I was - I mean. It was. But not like - It wasn't … it's not _like that_! Miss Hale isn't … she's not that kind of - _why are you like this?_ "

Warren didn't miss a beat as he picked up his glass of water. "I'm a shut in, Nate. There's only so much I can occupy my time with." He paused and smiled crookedly to himself. "And I suppose that's part of why Scott asked _me_ to look out for you." He leaned toward Nate and lowered his voice. "Betsy, your mother, and the professor all built up my psychic defenses. You're not going to pull one over on me just to get some alone time with your girlfriend."

Nate stared at him for a moment, and took a different route than what he would normally take with one of his father's oldest friends. "Is … that a challenge?"

"If it was a challenge, I'd notify her mother where your mind is at," Warren said with a grin.

Nate held up both hands. "Got it. Message received. I won't push. I was joking anyhow."

"No you weren't."

"No, I wasn't," Nate admitted with a sheepish grin and one hand at the back of his neck. "Are you going to nuke me if she comes over?"

"Nope," Warren said, shaking his head lightly. "Just stay in the living room and no overnights."

Nate sighed, but reached out to Kate to let her know what the deal was - and what Warren liked on his pizza. _It looks like we're stuck with a chaperone_ , he projected to her. _No to the tower. No to backing off on the angelic supervision. If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was enjoying torturing me._

_Are you sure he's not?_

_He's just happy for a change of scenery,_ Nate replied. _And a chance to relive his glory days of harassing my Dad. Must be the face._

 _It_ is _a good face,_ Kate replied. _That requires more kissing._

 _Please hurry. If we play our cards right, we might be able to get gelato after. Who knows. With a little luck, maybe we_ won't _be stuck playing Scrabble with Angel._

_I'll make sure Mom knows to call us if there's any trouble._

* * *

Mia and Tommy were very cozy - until Tommy got a text from his brother asking if he was in trouble.

 _Not yet,_ Tommy texted back as Mia giggled with her hand over her mouth and her tail swaying behind her - exactly like a cat that was ready to pounce.

 _Do you need me to wish you here?_ Billy asked. _Since I know you're not home._

 _That's where you're wrong,_ Tommy replied. _And I kinda wanted to time myself._

Mia had read every word, and though she'd fallen silent in her giggles, her smile had only grown on seeing what Tommy had written. She couldn't help herself from falling harder for him when he was being so _sweet_. Even if he didn't realize how sweet he was.

 _I'll give you ten minutes before I wish you here_ , Billy sent - his decision in place.

"That gives me five anyhow," Tommy said, grinning before he pointedly put the phone into the freezer bag then turned to Mia for one last makeout session before he had to go.

But finally, Tommy knew he had to get going - or risk owing his twin for pulling him away from Westchester when he should have been in Genosha. "I'll be back before you know it."

"I wasn't expecting this as it was," Mia said, then kissed the very tip of his nose. "Text me when you get there."

Tommy grinned and then slipped out of her window. She rushed to the open window to watch him climb down, then shook her head as he took off - with leaves and grass belatedly waving in the direction he'd run.

* * *

Dinner with the extended family and Magneto on the first night in Genosha was a little awkward. Tommy had come in almost late, which had his parents frowning at him, though the way he'd zipped in and dropped into his chair ready to devour anything he got his hands on was kind of a dead giveaway that he had been up to something. The windswept hair and devil-may-care grin was almost as good as a signed confession to attest that he hadn't been on Genosha nearly as long as anyone else that day.

The formal dinner ahead of them promised to be a long, drawn out affair that they all had gone into with their own coping mechanisms in place. James and Billy had obviously decided they would actively ignore whatever looks Magneto shot their way, but Rachel could telepathically hear Wanda getting frustrated with her father while she went out of her way to make sure James knew _they_ wanted him there. The way that Magneto was acting had Rachel seething. James hadn't done anything to earn how Erik was treating him, and the fact that James had been going out of his way _not_ to stir up trouble had her honestly concerned for her brother. Which meant Rachel wasn't very talkative, even belatedly answering questions when one was directed at her.

Vision rounded out the effort toward normalcy by trying to engage in a little small talk with Scott about the kids and their lives. It made for an interesting study in human psychology when the android was the one who kept things from being a total disaster, since Scott was more than happy to brag about James' degrees or Rachel's handle on her powers or Nate's grades _and_ sports…

...though that fell a bit to the wayside when the news covered the X-Men again. Erik constantly had one screen or another going to keep him abreast of any developing situations. Apparently, Nate, Kate, and Mia were rescuing civilians from a protest rally that had turned violent.

The reporters on the scene had managed to convince the three of them to talk, and for the most part, it seemed like the kids were handling the attention well enough. Nate had taken a page out of his dad's book and was talking about the dream of the X-Men, but it was when a reporter asked Kate a question that things got interesting.

" _So what's your story, anyway?"_

_Kate laughed and held up her hands. "Come on, guys. We wear masks for a reason. Secret identities are a thing."_

" _Right, but you're not a mutant, are you?"_

_Nate had unconsciously stepped in front of Kate. "What does that have to do with anything?"_

" _Well," the reporter said, "the X-Men are supposed to be a team of mutants, right?"_

_Nate looked like he was going to give the reporter a piece of his mind, but Kate put her hand on his arm. "I got this," she said softly his way, then turned to the reporter. "You're only listening to half of what we're saying. You're so caught up in the part where the X-Men want to show the world that mutants aren't scary that you're forgetting 'peaceful coexistence' too."_

" _No, I'm just pointing out that the X-Men have always-"_

" _Look," Kate said, cutting across him. "Catch up, would you? Do I have to spell it out? You don't have to be a mutant to stand up for mutants."_

It was such a good quote that the reporter ran with it, already spinning it as the three X-Men teleported away to do a little post-mission celebrating, with the headline reading "Peaceful Coexistence?" and the pundits on the other side were already debating how _safe_ it was for a human to be on a team with such _dangerous_ teammates.

There was silence at the dinner table for a long time as the newscast continued.

"That's it," James said, breaking the weighty silence. "I'm sending her flowers."

Rachel snorted. "Wrong sibling," she said. "You know Nate's making out with her right now."

"No, no, it's 'congratulations on shutting down the reporter,' not 'hey baby, what's your sign,'" James said dryly.

Rachel burst out laughing at that. "Billy, _please_ tell me that's how you two hooked up!"

"Oh yeah," Billy said without missing a beat. "Who can resist flowers and astrology?"

"She handled those questions quite well," Vision said, his head tipped to the side as he watched the broadcast.

"Yeah," James agreed. "And a lot of that sounds like Hawkeye the first."

"Like father like daughter," Rachel said, grinning brilliantly at Scott, who wasn't hiding his smirk well.

"Now if only the reporters _could_ catch up," Scott said. "They just need to read anything the professor wrote to see where the team is coming from."

"I'll bet someone could have Stark's company slip that into somewhere easy to reach," Billy said with a smirk. "During an Avenger's statement."

"Or someone with reality altering powers could just poof them there…" Rachel teased.

"I didn't say _who_ ," Billy pointed out. "Or how."

Rachel smirked into her drink. "Sure didn't."

"What do you think the Old Gray Hawk is doing for her tonight?" James asked Rachel, glad to have something to talk about for the moment that wasn't their father bragging about them. He didn't think that giving Kate well deserved praise would be problematic.

"Throwing a party," Rachel said without missing a beat.

"That's taking it a step beyond the basics of Xavier's papers," James said quieter - his focus on Rachel as he said so.

"It's just the logical conclusion of the dream," Rachel said with a shrug.

"It's the most intelligent conclusion anyhow," James agreed.

"Preposterous," Erik said in a low, throaty tone, killing the jovial mood with one word. "I know you children mean well, but you don't know the _first thing_ about it. What you learned was filtered through retelling, that isn't anywhere _near_ what Charles wanted."

"Actually," Rachel said, "Dad kept a copy of the professor's works. There's a few at the school too."

"And I got a copy when I graduated the first time," James said, backing Rachel up. "Pretty sure Storm will let you read it. Again." He smirked at Billy for an instant. "Or, I'd be happy to get you a copy of your own."

"I don't need to read it when I was side by side with Charles when he _wrote_ it," Erik said, his eyes flashing already. " _This_ place, this was his dream - mutants out in the open, not cowering and hiding!"

"Grandfather, this isn't peaceful coexistence," Billy pointed out, which had Wanda raising an eyebrow at how he was standing up to Erik. "Not by any definition I've seen. That would mean humans and mutants were living in the same place at the same time. That's all. It's really not asking for much."

"This is a highly polished, segregated island," Tommy said carefully, perfectly annunciating each word as he ran one hand through his hair and gestured broadly with the other.

Billy nodded, pointing at his brother as both of Scott's kids smirked at the two of them. It was obvious that neither James nor Rachel had expected the twins to take that stance with their grandfather, and their relief on hearing it was easy to see. "Right," Billy said. "Separate but not equal."

When Erik got to his feet and looked like he was about to tear into the kids, Scott got to his feet as well. "If you yell at my kids for telling the truth, I will personally make sure you never speak again."

All of the kids' smiles dropped as they turned to watch the show, looking between the two men as Rachel and James were positively tensed and ready to spring, already telepathically reinforcing their plans on how to deal with an attack from Erik, should it come to that. Rachel was right on the brink with fire dancing at the center of her pupils and James was turned, waiting for her cue to neutralize Erik.

"You can disagree," Scott said evenly but without dropping his gaze from Erik. "But do _not_ yell. At my kids."

"I've welcomed you into my home, and this is how you repay me?" Erik shot back.

"I didn't know your home came with a requirement for them not to think for themselves."

"Gag order's on the front door," Tommy called out, but that was one step over the line for Erik.

" _Get out_ ," Erik said. "All of you. Get out of my sight."

James was absolutely set to stay and back Scott up - at least until Billy pulled at his arm to get him moving. He didn't want to leave Scott alone with Erik, but he wasn't really thrilled with getting Billy in trouble either. When Rachel projected to him that their dad wanted them to clear out so he could talk to Erik without the element of Erik's family drama, James let out a sigh and got to his feet. When he passed Scott by, James was sure to squeeze Scott's shoulder - and dropped one of the new non-metallic bugs they'd brought with.

Scott waited until the kids were gone and the tall, heavy doors clanged shut before he let out a breath. "They're kids, Erik. They're young. I told you that."

"They're only repeating the propaganda they've been told," Erik said.

" _I_ taught them about peaceful coexistence. That _was_ the dream," Scott said evenly. " _That_ was why we had the school in Westchester instead of hidden away. _That_ was why the professor spoke out publicly. I'm not going to try and rewrite history just because the X-Men died with Charles Xavier."

"And I'm not going to forget what was done to Charles - to his team - or to my _son_ ," Erik said, sounding angrier with each word.

"You think I've forgotten?" Scott shot back, matching his tone with his own anger. "You think I can _look in the mirror_ without thinking about it?"

"You still think that you can be peaceful with those that would have you dead and buried and celebrating it! Look at where that dream got _you_ , Scott. You're a mutant in name _only_ and you bear the scars of what exactly it is the humans would _use us for_ if given even half a chance."

"I _know_!" Scott shot back.

"Then how can you stand by and allow this to continue? How can you let your own _children_ believe that humans can be anything but cruel and opportunistic?"

"What do you expect me to do?" Scott said.

"Tell them the _truth_ ," Erik said. "All of it. Tell that girl _why_ her mother held it back for so long when she could have _so easily_ gotten all of you out without letting Charles _die_ for nothing."

" _Don't talk to me about what happened to him_ ," Scott said angrily. "I was there when he died. It was one of the last things I ever saw with my own eyes."

"What was the final straw, Scott? What was it that finally tipped her over the edge?"

"We were all in shock," Scott said. "She was a ticking time bomb trying to hold it back so she could take care of _me_. As soon as we lost Logan and K, _that_ was the last straw. You know it. You _saw_ them when you got there. You know how recent it was. And even then, she tried to hold back because _we didn't know where the kids were_. She didn't lose it completely until Kurt got her out of the compound so the kids weren't at risk!"

"Jean Grey did more to save mutants in one night than your whole team could manage in _years._ "

"The price was too high," Scott said. "She could have destroyed the world if Kurt hadn't stopped her. I won't ask my kids to cross those lines."

"Then you are condemning them to the same half-life that you had at your height."

"We were _happy_ , Erik," Scott said. "Don't you get that? We had family. We had each other. And we were making a difference!"

"And because you refused to _act_ against the men who wanted to use you to hurt more of your own kind, you brought that fate down on yourself."

"I won't let my kids become killers, Erik," Scott said.

"If you want them to survive, you will."

Scott shook his head. "No. I'd cross that line myself before I let them lose themselves."

"Careful, Scott. You're starting to sound like Wolverine, and you know how well that turned out."

Scott narrowed his eyes, leaning on the table with his hands flat. "Logan didn't die for his philosophy, Erik."

"No," Erik said with a sneer. "He didn't die for anything, did he?"

Scott narrowed his eyes for an instant as he tried to keep his temper, reminding himself that a fight wasn't really what he came for today. "I'm trying to keep them _safe_. Not turn them into weapons."

"And I'm trying to give them freedom."

"Then give it to them," Scott said. "But don't turn them into _your_ pawns to do it."

"Until the humans are dealt with, Scott, then all of them are pawns."

"What are you planning to do?" Scott asked, his eyes narrowed to slits.

Erik smirked. "Set it right."

"You're going to get my kids killed for the crime of having human friends," Scott said.

"Not them, no."

Scott scowled for a long time. The truth of the matter was that if he'd had a weapon, he would have acted right then with a threat like that hanging in the air. But he didn't have anything that wasn't metallic, not in Magneto's home, so he had to play his cards carefully. "If you do this," he said slowly, softly, "you can't go after people like the kids that are trying to stand up with mine. There are worse people out there, ones that have actually hurt people."

"Agreed," Erik said. "Finally."

Scott held his gaze. "Alright," he said at last. "I can't stop you." He took a deep breath. "I still don't want my kids involved. But I can't stop you."

"I won't say that I'll avoid trying to get them to see sense," Erik said. "And no. You _can't_ stop me, Scott. You never could."

"That's overstating things," Scott said. "When I had my powers…"

"You don't _have_ your powers."

"No, but I still have some power or you wouldn't argue with me," Scott said with a quiet smirk.

"Not the kind you're aware of, perhaps," Erik admitted. "And I do have a special sort of _pity_ for Charles' first student."

"I've never asked for pity," Scott said, his eyes narrowed.

"Yet you have it."

"I don't want it," Scott said. "I've seen three kids - three _high-value target kids_ \- to young adulthood with no powers of my own while government agencies were looking for them-"

"How can you admit that to me and still argue against their futures?"

"Because I want their futures to be better than the never-ending fight for survival we had," Scott said.

"Hiding like this, Scott," Erik said, letting his tone soften finally. "It will only end in misery."

Scott held Erik's gaze for a moment longer before he let out a breath and dropped it. "There's no sense in arguing with you on this," he said.

"Sooner or later, you'll either see things my way, or you'll meet the same end as your X-Men," Erik said as he turned to leave Scott standing there.

"That's where you're wrong," Scott said dully. "No one wants to kill me anymore."

"Is that why you're not using your name, Mr. Summers?" Erik called back. "Because you're so _safe_?"

Scott didn't say anything, though he did make sure that he timed it so that when Erik looked over his shoulder, Scott was seated again, this time with his head in both hands.


	45. Bugged

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I tried to warn before, this one is kind of going at a crawl for the time being. My own fault for throwing up so much so fast. Oops. Just gives me more time to add more juiciness.

Although all of the kids had ended up eavesdropping on Scott and Erik's conversation, they weren't entirely sure what to make of it. James and Rachel were sure their dad wasn't _agreeing_ with Erik but… they didn't know half the details Scott and Erik had discussed on what had happened to their parents. And they knew their dad wasn't exactly doing well. But it didn't help them sort through what had happened and all that they'd heard.

The twins, who had been more tense than they realized, had listened half holding their breath - though Billy had been equal parts surprised, impressed, and bewildered that he'd been left out of the loop from even knowing that James had the tech to work around Magneto. But all of his questions fell to the wayside the instant that Logan's death was brought up. Especially when James didn't have a thing to say for the rest of the evening.

The kids had all scattered by the time that Scott would have been able to even begin looking for them. James had taken the short cut unintentionally as Billy simply wished him to his room before he'd stolen a kiss and promised to find him in the morning. When Scott poked his head in to check on James, he was already in bed with his back to the door feigning sleep as he mulled over everything that they'd overheard. And while Scott was glad to see that James was at least safe for the time being, he wasn't totally surprised when Wanda knocked on his door a short while later.

"It's starting to feel like most of my conversations with people start out by apologizing for my father's behavior," Wanda said quietly, even before Scott could invite her into the suite. "But I feel the need to apologize all the same. There is no good excuse for his attitude. I know he's twisted up the memory of the professor's dream and I have no excuse for him outside of senility."

"That really doesn't ease my mind, Wanda," Scott said, hoping that this wasn't going to turn into another fight.

"I'm sure it doesn't," she agreed before she took a seat and sighed heavily. "I hope you won't abandon the rest of this trip."

"Come on, Wanda," Scott said, forcing a smile as much as he was able. "You act like I've never dealt with your father in one of his moods before."

"Oh, I know you have. Outside of those of us sharing a blood tie, you're probably the most experienced in the world. You're simply out of practice."

"Yeah, but it's like riding a bike, right?"

"Still," Wanda said, relaxing slightly on seeing that Scott wasn't ready to leave yet. "I'll speak with him later. I wanted to check on you first and make sure that this isn't going to ruin things for the _boys_ either. Billy never would have asked for you to come here if he wasn't head over heels." When Scott didn't have a reply loaded up and ready, Wanda continued. "And I'd hate to lose an ally in matters that have become much larger than Genosha already."

Scott watched her for a long moment. "You're worried about what your father is up to."

"I'd be a fool not to be," Wanda said. "And the fact that you're _here_ … if this was just about the boys, we could have come to you to keep my father out of the middle."

"Billy really did want to show James where he's from," Scott said, almost surprising himself at his defense of Billy's motives. "But you're partially right. There's no way I'd allow James to come here without me with how things are politically in the world right now."

Wanda smiled sedately and then let her gaze drop to her hands. "I suppose it would be asking too much to have you help me to keep my father from going too far. Especially for as long as you've kept away from such matters."

"No," Scott said, shaking his head gently. "I just don't know that there's much I could do."

She looked up with the light flashing in her eyes very much like her father. "If he continues on this path, I don't expect the world to tolerate _him_ much longer. It would be bad for mutants around the world if he goes back to his warmongering ways. _Help me_ make sure that never happens again, Scott."

"If it comes to a point where he needs to be talked down-"

"If he could be talked down, it would have been done by now. We both know the only one who _ever_ had any success in getting him off of the ledge was Charles." Wanda shrugged. "And my mother, but that … was even farther in the past." She let her shoulders droop. "I'm only asking that if there is a way to stop him without _ending him_ that you take that route. As harsh as he can be -" Her sentiment fell to silence and Scott could see that they were more or less on the same page. "It would be hard on the boys - and Lorna's kids too … I know you have yet to see it, but they love him. And he _is_ losing his grip on sanity."

Scott was quiet, though he nodded minutely, acutely aware that they might be overheard. He wasn't stupid enough to think that Erik hadn't bugged the suite anticipating any _treason_. "I don't want to see any harm come to your father, Wanda."

"Neither do I." Wanda frowned and then leaned toward him, her hands on her crossed knees. "I put the 'security measures' on a loop before I came in. Between that and a little spell that Lorna and I use often, no one listens in on me unless I allow it." She reached over to rest her hand on his wrist. "He's been pushing his luck. I'm simply trying to tell you as much. I swore to Lorna that I wouldn't interfere with our father, but … I would not hold it against you if you did so for the sake of the children, our old teams, and the fate of our kind at large. I only ask you try to handle him as Charles would, if it's even possible."

"Understood," Scott said, then smiled. "But … if that's the route you're discussing, then I'm going to ask that you get him to lay off James."

"Already working on it," Wanda promised, then smiled. "You did so well with James, Scott. It's clear he's holding his tongue and trying to be respectful. I know that's entirely for Billy's sake."

"Is that why Billy's being more open about speaking against him?" Scott asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Most likely," Wanda agreed with a smile. "The boys are protective of each other. Believe it or not, that's a new experience for Billy - having someone sincere enough to look out for him."

"Then it's a good match," Scott said as Wanda got to her feet.

"I'll make sure to keep my father occupied tomorrow. If you're not planning anything already, I'd like to find a quiet place to speak with you further. It seems our boys are getting serious after all."

* * *

Thankfully for the kids' sanity, the next morning Kitty caught up to Rachel while Billy and Tommy tried to get James to talk to them about what they'd all overheard. After all, not only was Wanda and Vision keeping watch, but Kitty was concerned about Scott as well.

 _Rachel,_ Kitty projected out to get her attention and then waved once she had it. "Hey! I don't know if you remember me… I'm Kitty."

Rachel's eyebrows shot up. "Yeah, of course I do," she said as she shook Kitty's hand - and then Kitty pulled her into a hug and did the usual gushing about how much she looked like her mom. "We've missed you."

"We missed you too. I'm still a little salty that I didn't get to keep your little brother. But, ah, I wanted to ask…" Kitty paused and then switched to telepathic communication - since she, too, was paranoid. _Do you know why your dad's here?_

Rachel paused. _He said you were worried about Magneto,_ she admitted. _And after spending some time with the guy, I don't exactly blame you._

_He's been getting worse for a few years now. He's just escalating now that he has an excuse._

Rachel nodded. _I see why you asked him to come,_ she said, then bit her lip, wondering if she should bring up the conversation from last night. And if she did, she wasn't sure where to _start_.

_What's on your mind, Rachel? You have the same tells as your father._

Rachel couldn't help but smile. _I guess,_ she said, then let the expression fall. _James and I were eavesdropping on Dad and Magneto._

 _I thought you couldn't do that,_ Kitty replied, frowning in spite of herself.

 _Not telepathically, but James has a non-metallic listening device,_ Rachel explained. _He dropped it on Dad at dinner before he and Erik started really yelling at each other and…_ She bit her lip. _And it seems like Dad is ... he's… agreeing with him._

 _He's not,_ Kitty said. _No way._

 _You didn't hear what I did,_ Rachel argued.

 _I don't have to. He's trying to get to him_ , Kitty told her. _Keep it to yourself, but it's all part of the plan._

Rachel let her shoulders drop. _That's actually a huge relief,_ she said.

_You can tell your brother I'm going to want more of those bugs, if he has any._

_I'll tell him. Hold on; he needs to know that and that Dad's not going to the dark side,_ Rachel said, holding up a hand to relay what Kitty had said to James. _Hey little brother… Dad's playing a long game with Magneto, apparently,_ she told James.

 _He's what now?_ James asked, sounding anxious even though the telepathic link.

 _He's agreeing with him so he can get the guy's trust,_ Rachel said. _He and Kitty have a plan._

 _You better be right,_ James said. _The twins are kind of freaking out here. Over a few things. So if you need me, I'm going to be with them. Tommy has a spot to hide out, I guess._

 _I'm right,_ Rachel said. _I'd know if Kitty was lying. If you want to be sure, we can ask Dad after we're off Genosha._

 _I doubt he'll tell us,_ James said.

 _You can at least tell if he's lying about agreeing with him,_ Rachel pointed out.

_Yeah. Sure. In the meantime, I need to go over a few things with Billy and Tommy. Billy needs to hear why I didn't warn him about the bugs. Tommy wants to know why he didn't get one just for kicks. They hit both sides of everything, Rach. So … thanks for letting me know, anyhow._

Rachel let out a sigh and then turned back to Kitty. "We haven't even been here for twenty-four hours and already this trip has sucked."

"That bad, huh?" Kitty said, pulling her over by her shoulders.

"Yeah. Dad's been a mess since we debuted the team. And this whole thing with Magneto really hasn't helped."

"About that," Kitty said. "What's going on with him?"

"Um, I didn't study psychology?"

"No, because Summers are genetically afraid of that," Kitty said.

"Hey, I tried asking Dad to find a therapist, but then he told me about how the last person he asked for help was-"

"Emma."

"Uh-huh. So he shut me down pretty hard."

"If she's still alive, I want to kill her," Kitty said. "Phase her head into a wall."

Rachel nodded and let out a breath. "I don't know what you want to know. Dad didn't want us to be X-Men, and he's scared of losing us. And he's been … distant for a while now."

But that seemed to draw Kitty's attention fast. "Distant how?"

"He won't let me or Nate see what he's thinking and he's not _talkative_."

"That's really not good," Kitty said.

"I know," Rachel said. "But I don't know what to do about it. We've always been there for Dad and he's always been there for us, and we've never been this… out of sync before."

"How's your brother handling it?" Kitty asked.

"Which one? Because Nate's trying to set Dad up with his history teacher…"

"That's a long shot," Kitty said with a snort.

"That's what I said," Rachel said. "James is just… frustrated. He's kind of shutting down too. He's been a lot more withdrawn and quiet since Magneto threatened him in the lab. I know he's not afraid of him, but he also doesn't want to cause drama for Billy." She took a deep breath that wobbled a bit, suddenly realizing how emotional she was as it hit her all at once.

"Another not great sign, right?" Kitty said before she pulled Rachel into a tight hug. "You're okay if I hug you, right?"

"Yeah," Rachel said in a breath. "I just… I know Magneto is a problem, and I know you wouldn't ask Dad for help if it wasn't big, it's just-"

"Do me a favor and make sure you keep out of his way," Kitty said. "We're working on it. I promise. Bobby and I - we still consider ourselves on the team, you know."

Rachel smiled at that, wiping her eyes. "You should come out with us."

"If we can find a way off the island that won't tip off Erik that something is up? You're so on."

"Good." Rachel let out a breath. "You'll watch out for him, right? My dad?"

"Absolutely," Kitty promised.

* * *

That day, Erik was nowhere to be seen - which was good since Alex and Lorna had decided that the visiting Summers group needed to take a tour of the island - and get away from the palace to let Erik find a way to compose himself after the disastrous welcome dinner. Which was a good thing, all told. Scott _needed_ to spend a little time with his brother like this on Alex's turf and playing with his niece and nephew in their comfort zone. Not to mention that watching Rachel and James with the two kids - both of whom had attached to James but were taking direction from Rachel - was a refreshing kind of entertainment in itself.

"You're all coming to dinner with _just us_ tonight, right?" Lorna prompted as they got back to the palace after a long day of exploring the island and finally surfing with Alex on the beaches he knew as well as those of Hawaii.

"Sure we can-" Scott started to say, but stopped when he saw the expression James was wearing.

"Vision and Wanda wanted me to go with them tonight," James said. "I already agreed to it."

"Oh, yes, that's _very_ important too," Lorna said, smiling wider. "Have fun - I know my sister's dying to get you away from everyone and get to know you better."

" _You_ can still come though, big brother," Alex said as he dropped his arm around Scott's shoulders. "You need more time with little Chris and Suzie. And you know you want to."

"Really, Dad," James said with a crooked smile. "It's fine."

"Alright, but you need to make sure you don't cross Erik if he tries to talk to you again," Scott said, honestly concerned with how bady it could go. "You can't get away with as much here."

"Placate the king," James said - which had Alex nodding along.

"Pretty much," Alex said. "Though I doubt he'll even try talking to you."

Scott and James both gave him a dry look as Rachel slowly shook her head, though it fell flat when it was clear that Alex had no idea that Magneto had already threatened James. "All the same. I want to check in with you when you get back from Wanda and Vision," Scott said as he gave James a more serious look.

"Will do," James promised as they headed back to their rooms. "I'm not going to say anything to stir up trouble, Dad. Don't worry."

As it turned out, when it came time for the split, Scott and Rachel headed off to an entirely different side of the palace from where James and Billy had to go to spend time with Wanda and Vision. But it wasn't anything uncomfortable or unpleasant since Wanda and Vision had already decided how they felt about James. So this dinner was more trying to get him to talk about himself with a little more detail for Vision's sake while Billy and Wanda shared quiet smiles and caught up.

It was clear that Vision was excited to hear more from James about what direction Tony was taking with his tech - even if James couldn't get too in depth about it, considering how little he trusted the palace to _not_ have microphones everywhere. Or for whoever was listening on the other end of those microphones to _not_ be reporting every word to Erik.

But even with a censored discussion, James and Vision were quickly comparing notes - and theories on what was next. It was easily the most stimulating conversation Vision had had on the island in years. Which made Wanda incredibly reluctant to break it up. The two of them were getting into a good groove when James almost did a double take as Erik came in and sat down between Wanda and Billy.

Erik was quiet at first, and if James hadn't known better, it would have seemed as if Erik was a perfectly normal grandfather in how he responded to Billy and tried to very quietly engage him in conversation. Which had James nervous, if he was being honest. Not for his safety, more for what Erik would do to split him and Billy apart. And the more he let himself think about it, the more he was convinced that it was an eventuality. So it wasn't long before James' mood slipped out of the range of where he'd been at the height of their conversation _before_ Erik showed up.

 _After all_ , James reasoned to himself, _not like he couldn't do worlds better than me._ But Vision kept trying to keep their conversation going - and away from Erik for as long as he could. Then again, Erik never would have shown up if he hadn't intended to break up the party.

"I know Tony Stark always has the finest minds working under him," Erik said at last when there was a pause in the conversation Vision was having with James. "Don't take offense, young man, but I wonder if he's bothered to educate you in all of the barbaric methods that were used to hunt our kind down." His tone was warm still - a total 180 from the night before- and James knew he was trying to bait him into .. something.

"Daddy, now is not the time," Wanda said, resting her hand on Erik's wrist.

"Actually," James said carefully as he held Erik's gaze, unwilling to let Erik insinuate that Tony had been anything but amazing to him. "Tony's been open with me on all of that outdated tech. From both sides."

But instead of the anger James had expected, Erik smiled. "Then I wonder if you wouldn't mind demonstrating Stark's level of _honesty_ with you." Erik reached under his ever-present cape to produce a softball sized device and set it down on the table. "Did he bother telling you what this is?"

Billy and Wanda both were openly watching Erik, neither of them pleased with whatever game he was up to. But they weren't expecting James' reaction. As the rest of the Maximoff family frowned, James' eyebrows shot up in surprise at seeing the device. "Is that …." he paused and looked back up at Erik. "May I?"

The smile Erik was wearing held steady, though it didn't touch his eyes at all. "Be my guest."

James continued to hold his gaze for a beat longer before he tipped his chin down and picked up the device. It was a moody bit of tech. He knew that already from what Tony had told him about several of Erik's tech division's devices - hampered by the unstable magnetic field that surrounded Erik. James turned the device over in his hands a few times, silently examining it and trying to find a way to be tactful about what he could see already. "It never really did was it was supposed to, did it?"

"No," Erik said, shaking his head and losing some of the almost manic expression. "It never did what I needed it to without my hand to guide it."

James hummed to himself as he nodded and continued to inspect the device since that was something he could focus on that would draw his attention away from his emotions.

"What is it?" Billy asked, frowning deeply and looking guarded himself. It was clear though, that Wanda and Vision knew exactly what it was if the disapproving looks they were giving Erik was any indicator. But before they could intervene, James answered for them.

"It's a sentinel seeker," James said almost distractedly. "Or it was supposed to be." He glanced up at Erik. "Your guys wanted it to hunt down mutant killing robots and destroy them, right? I thought these never made it into circulation."

"They didn't," Erik admitted. "But I thought after hearing whispers of your technological feats for Tony Stark, it wouldn't hurt to see if you'd be able to find the root defect. For the betterment of mutant kind, of course."

James froze. It was a blatant test - and one that James was going to have a very hard time turning down. Especially when he agreed that the mutant hunting robots were a step over the line. Still. He had to be _extremely_ careful in how he responded, which he supposed was another test in itself. James swallowed, then very suddenly took a hold of the device with both hands and cracked it open. Maybe if he didn't speak first …

But Billy wasn't amused at all, especially when there was no one but himself that could have told Erik much about what James was up to with Tony. And he didn't want to admit to his sweetheart that he'd reported back to Erik about _him_. Even if it had been early on. "Grandfather," he said, taking on a tone that James wasn't used to - one that held a bit of authority that Billy probably didn't _like_ to use, but was necessary when dealing with Magneto simply to be _heard_. "James is under contract with Tony Stark _and_ Stark Industries. He _can't_ work on anyone else's tech or it would break contract. I'm very sure 'what happens in Genosha' won't be a sufficient excuse."

Erik looked supremely irritated, but before he could open his mouth, James calmly and patiently cut in. "I'm not working on it. I'm looking at it. Nothing says I can't consult if I don't do the work myself." That quickly earned a pleased smile from Erik, though Billy was openly shocked and didn't hide it as he stared at James with honest concern.

It only took a few more minutes before James started to put the device back together otherwise untouched. "The body of the device is made from the same metal as sentinels were, right? I'm guessing that was so they could go in under their sensors?"

Erik nodded, obviously pleased already. "Yes, they were made from old sentinels," Erik said, clearly amused with his own cleverness.

"That's fine, so - because of that, it would make it harder for their sensors to differentiate the seekers from the sentinels," James explained for Billy, preferring to clue him in on what was going on when the rest of the table already knew. And it was easier than speaking directly with Erik. "But the bigger problem is that they don't have the right programming to operate this without using them as drones. _That_ wouldn't work though because the radio transmission to direct them would trip off the Sentinel's security systems. And that would be riskier than what the developers intended. Otherwise, to follow their model, you'd need sentient tech that could tap into machinery to scan the programming and decide on the fly if it was a threat or not without living people making the call." James set the device down carefully right where Erik had originally placed it, then met Erik's gaze. "There have been leaps and bounds in tech that could address that, but the newer, upgraded sentinels wouldn't be something these would be able to handle like they did for the giant robots." James looked toward Vision for a moment. "And though the technology _exists_ to turn them into sentient devices- it's incredibly dangerous and far too prone to going wrong."

"Precisely," Vision agreed, heartily before he turned toward Erik. "Which is why I advised you to let this kind of project fall to the wayside."

But Erik barely acknowledged Vision while his focus was elsewhere. "James, I'd very much like to take you by my labs tonight. If your assessment is this thorough with a quick glance at outdated technology, I'm sure you'd be able to tell me if my scientists are lacking for anything with what I've provided for them so far."

James glanced between Billy and his parents, though he knew from the tone Erik was using and the way he was holding himself that it wasn't really something he could say no to, either. Not in the man's home, anyway. "I promised my Dad I'd meet up with him after this, but -"

"Wonderful," Erik said as he got to his feet. "It's hardly a detour between here and your quarters."

"O-kay," James said as he quietly got to his feet and followed Erik's lead. He glanced over at Billy - his silent apology clear before Vision nodded tersely to Wanda then quickly fell into step with James and Erik.

"I think I'd like to hear your assessment as well," Vision said with a stoic sort of smile as the three of them headed toward the labs.

The doors had barely closed though before Billy had turned to his mother with a note of panic. "What's he _doing_? He's going to wreck it for me, I just know it."

"Sweetheart," Wanda said, resting her hand on his arm. "I don't think James will be so easy for him to manipulate. You don't know it, but there is a lot of his mother in him."

"Did you know that he already threatened James in his lab?" Billy asked, looking somewhere between alarmed and angry. "James won't tell me about it more than to say he's alright - _which he's not_."

"No, he didn't mention that," Wanda admitted. "But I'll take care of it. He's changing tactics -"

"Like that's not a bad thing?" Billy asked, cutting across her. "Because it is. A very bad thing."

"I won't let your grandfather scare him off," Wanda promised before running her hand over Billy's hair. "I told you, I don't think James will intimidate that easily. I know you really like him." She kissed his forehead then met his gaze with one hand on his cheek. "And if he didn't feel the same, there is no way that he'd have come. Remember - he came even after he was threatened. He's here for _you_ , and solidly enough that Cyclops is backing him up. That means more than you realize."

Billy sighed heavily. "I hope you're right. Thanks, Mom. I do feel a little better now."

* * *

Erik was trying to lay a claim to Billy's boyfriend, and Tommy was starting to think Billy could do _nothing_ that their grandfather didn't think he could turn to his advantage. Which was an annoying enough thought that Tommy felt like going somewhere a little less… _controlled_.

Plus, he _had_ promised to surprise Mia again…

It was upsettingly easy to slip away, too. Erik was so focused on his hand-picked successor and his boyfriend that nothing else seemed to matter to him. If Tommy wasn't also sure that his grandfather was still steaming about the X-Men, he might even have said Erik was distracted. And yeah, Tommy might not have gotten along with his grandfather, but seeing in living color how Erik was turning from ruling to obsessing was hard. Tommy _liked_ Genosha; he didn't want it to get neglected the way he was forgotten at family events until he did something to get attention.

So rather than watch that happen, he opted for Door Number Two: kissing his girlfriend.

He spent the entire run to Westchester congratulating himself on his decision-making - right up until he went to Mia's room and made the fatal error of assuming the person he had seen moving in the room was Mia.

To his credit, his entrance _would_ have been smooth. He climbed in through the window with a tropical flower and a crooked grin and had already called out a greeting before he got a good look at who he was flirting with.

"Gah!" Tommy said, backpedaling fast.

"Hello, Tommy," Storm said as the wind blew him right off his feet and into the air. "Won't you stay a while?"

Tommy flailed a few times before he accepted his fate and gave Storm what he hoped was a winning grin. "Can't be late for dinner with the grimy grandpa!" he sang out.

"Yes, I'm sure that's why you're here _now_ when it's past usual dining hours in civilized society where you _should_ be on Genosha," Ororo replied with a little smile. "How many times have you been back here like this during break?"

"Um …. Just … a couple of times," Tommy answered. "But believe me, if you were there now, you'd rather be here too. It's _ridiculous_ what Grandfather is doing ... James is a mess, the Summerses are all pulling their hair out … and Kitty and Iceman are just … well. They're dealing as well as anyone _could_."

Ororo narrowed her eyes for an instant. "Perhaps it would be best if you told me what was being discussed and what was happening?"

"Oh, sure. I just … I kinda figured that Dadclops would have already told you what the plan was … you know. Especially since me and Billy had _no_ idea that James was going to be bugging the dinner convo-"

"Tommy," Ororo said, holding up one hand. "I'm going to set you down, but I expect for you to remain here and tell me what it is that my old friend has neglected to tell me."

"Oh. So. All of it?"

"Please."

Tommy nodded to himself. "Alright. But … does that mean I'm off the hook for detention when we get back because -"

Ororo smiled to herself. "I'm willing to overlook a few indiscretions if you can manage to be more upfront in the future."

"Really?" Tommy asked with a crooked smile. "Yeah. Alright. I can work with you on that."

"You should," Ororo said. "If you plan on remaining an X-Man, you would be wise to consult with the old leaders."

Tommy grinned at that. "Oh yeah. Do I get to hear about it? The good stuff, I mean … I don't … really need to hear the bad stuff."

"Of Course," Ororo agreed. "But first, tell me what trouble you've been causing."

* * *

It was another hour and a half after dinner with Billy's family had ended before James did, in fact, get back to the suite that the Summers family was using during their stay on Genosha. He was so distracted by both the subtle and blatant _fishing_ that Erik was doing, he didn't go directly to tell Scott he was back. Not that he really had to - not when Scott was waiting for him.

"Things must have gone really well with Wanda and Vision," Scott said with a crooked smile. "Or … very badly?" His smile slipped as he took in James' expression. "What's wrong?"

James opened his mouth, then closed it as he tried to explain _how_ it had gone wrong. "Magneto dropped in at dinner," he said finally, and continued before Scott could ask anything. "I don't think I pushed any buttons, but I also think that was because he was testing me? Trying to see how far he could push me, and … checking my tech knowledge. I don't know if he is aware of Tony's plans for me, though. I never told Billy what Tony has in mind, and I don't think he's ever mentioned anything around Billy." He looked up at Scott and held up both hands. "I didn't fall for any of Erik's games, but I couldn't just … _not answer him_ when he talked to me. He was doing this … fake calm and friendly thing but I could _smell_ a change in the air."

Scott was quiet for a long time, though James watched his dad's frown deepen until it creased his forehead. "That," Scott said at last, "is a problem on multiple fronts. It tells me he's considering you on a better level than he did your parents, which would be good if he wasn't trying to make a play for you at the same time."

James sat down as he watched Scott pace. "Dad - I didn't give him anything to get fired up about," James said. "And I'm going to just … try to avoid him when I can. Billy had said he wanted to show me around himself tomorrow. That's one day that I think will be okay, anyhow."

"Yes, it's definitely wise to stay away right now," Scott agreed. He stopped pacing long enough to turn toward James. "Any other day, I would be proud when someone sees your genius and heart, James. You know that. But Erik has a way of treating people like pawns- and discarding them without a second thought. I'm not sure his attention is any better focused now than it was when he saw you as beneath him and Billy." He sighed. "That's reality with Magneto. It's always a chess game. _Always_. So please: be careful."

"I will," James promised. "I told Billy I wasn't going to rock the boat. But I'm not going to do anything to get you in trouble or screw over Tony either." James sighed and looked to his feet for a moment. "I know his opinion of me isn't going to change easily, if at all. This isn't a change of view."

"It is; he just thinks he's finding a _use_ for you," Scott said, his tone making it clear how much Erik's outlook bothered him. He shook his head and finally stopped pacing to lean against the wall. "I'm glad you got to meet Vision and see Wanda again, but James…" He sighed. "Well, I don't have to tell you this is dangerous. I know you're looking out for everyone. Just don't forget to look out for _you_ as well."

"I'll be fine, Dad."


	46. Just A Little Chess

The following morning, the Summers family made their way to breakfast together. After the way the night had gone for James, Scott wanted to stick a little closer to both of his kids where he could at least _feel_ like he could keep them safe by proximity. But overprotective father aside, the truth was that with the substantial time zone difference, the family was jet lagged. Jet lagged, but still adjusting quickly enough. The three of them sat down to coffee as a group with Alex and Lorna laughing at how wiped out they all looked, though even with that, it was clear that James was the odd man out of the Summers clan. Scott and Rachel looked unrested, but they had at least slept a little. James - was not entirely awake with his hair sticking up slightly here and there after having been up most of the night anyhow. He sat down next to Rachel and promptly leaned his head on her shoulder while holding his cup of coffee close to himself.

"Are you even awake?" Rachel teased.

"Trying to be," James muttered with his eyes closed, though that had Scott smirking to himself. If there was any area where James was utterly unlike his father, it was his preference to sleep in when given a chance. And he had no shame about it, either. It also didn't hurt that James leaning on his sister helped her to relax a little too. Just a bit of normalcy for them in a strange country.

"You're not trying very hard," Rachel said as she leaned her head on his. "What's the plan today?"

"I dunno," James muttered, eyes closed and his face just over his mug, inhaling the fumes. "Ask Billy."

"I was," she chuckled, prompting James to pick his head up and crack an eye open as Billy took the seat next to him then kissed his cheek.

"Just going to go to my favorite places," Billy answered, smiling at Rachel. "Are you going to work on your tan?"

"Possibly," Rachel conceded. "Though it'll probably be whatever Uncle Alex has in mind."

"Which is passing the buck on saying 'beach time'," James said, to which Scott grinned and nodded.

"I hope you'll find the time to discuss the laboratories with me, young man," Erik said, and when the Summers family looked up, it was clear that Wanda had tried to stop him from breaking up their quiet morning. "You've had time to think over all that you saw. We can talk over chess - I'm sure Scott has taught you the basics."

"Yeah, he taught me a little. Like the horse is a dumb representation of a knight," James deadpanned before he took a sip of coffee and Rachel managed to control her grin.

"James should get a chance to wake up before you start pushing for chess, grandfather," Billy said. "And we have plans."

"Nothing that would take up the rest of the week," Erik pointed out.

"I really don't want to play any games. It's not really my thing," James said, though he still looked as if he was half asleep.

Erik looked irritated, but simply turned his sights to Scott instead for the moment. "What about you, Scott? Care to show the boy how it's done?"

Scott looked toward James and Rachel, quickly weighing out all possible outcomes. He didn't want to play Erik any more than James did, but he also knew Erik wasn't going to let the kid out of it. He needed to redirect Erik _away_ from James in any way he could. "It's been a while," Scott warned.

"Nonsense," Erik said with a smile. "Charles taught you well. I'm sure you'll do wonderfully."

Scott hummed to himself and squeezed both of his kids' shoulders as he stepped around them to keep Erik occupied. He knew James hadn't _slept_ by how tired he was - and having him play him while he was only half awake wouldn't do any of them any favors. James' inner filter would be _off_ entirely if he was tired - something he'd inherited from his mother that would only come back to bite them.

He sat down across from Erik with a tight sort of smile. "It's been years since I played," Scott said as he got comfortable.

"Yes, but I'm sure you remember the rules of engagement," Erik said, smiling more warmly. He gestured to the board, and Scott nodded once. It had always been this way for the Professor when the two of them had played chess as well. Erik preferred for someone else to open. The professor had explained it years ago … a simple tactic that was Erik's measure of how easy it would be to beat his opponent.

But Scott had learned from Professor Xavier long ago. He knew what Erik was up to. He knew his games, and he knew how Erik liked to play.

Three moves into the game and Erik was smiling to himself. "My boy, it seems as though you haven't missed a step in all this time."

"Hard to forget the basics," Scott said, then not two moves later, he purposely missed a vital move that might have won him the game outright. Erik had seen the mis-step and smiled to himself, though he didn't _say_ anything. Not when he was so pleased, generally speaking.

James still looked asleep as he switched from leaning on Rachel, to leaning on Billy's shoulder to Wanda's utter amusement. The two of them looked content and relaxed, and the fact was that Scott had managed to distract Erik thoroughly enough that the boys were comfortable and holding hands - and Billy was openly tickled.

But Scott wasn't going to just let Erik win. That simply wasn't in his nature. He _couldn't_. So, he rallied, and he managed to get to a point that Erik had to work for it. Even then, the game ended in a draw. There was no clear way for either of them to win, and that seemed to entertain Erik almost as much as a win. "I can't say that anyone's been able to do that since … well, _Charles_."

Scott swallowed hard and nodded once. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"That is how I meant it," Erik said gently, then lowered his voice almost to a whisper. "Well done, my boy." Scott smiled tightly and blew out a breath as both men got control of their emotions. "Now. Send the boy over," Erik said to Scott.

"I don't know if that's the best idea," Wanda said, trying to redirect her father slightly. It was clear that she didn't want a game to happen between the two of them, and even Billy was looking tense at the idea of it.

"James," Erik said in a more stern tone. "The board is set, my boy."

Billy opened his mouth to argue, and James gave him a squeeze. "It's okay," he said quietly before he raised his voice. "I really don't want to play." But he was already on his way to where Scott had been sitting just moments ago. He looked down at the board, but didn't sit down.

"I insist," Erik said as James frowned at him _and_ his chess board.

"You _don't_ have to play him, James," Wanda promised - a sentiment that was plainly echoed by the remainder of both Billy's family and the Summers in attendance. Which was exactly the protective move that had James determined not to use the buffer they were trying to give him.

"No, that's fine," James said as he took a seat then looked across the board at Erik, irked that he'd pushed Scott into a game _he_ didn't want to play either. "Little unrealistic, don't you think?"

"What's unrealistic about it?" Erik asked, frowning, though James didn't drop his gaze or blink.

"The fact that you want me to open. I don't start confrontations."

Erik looked shocked, but Rachel did a fine job of keeping her smile under control while Scott looked like he was holding his breath.

"Neither do I. All the same, someone has to open," Erik said, gesturing at the board.

James finished his coffee then nodded once. "If that's what you want," he said before he reached out to open with the most aggressive intro he could think of - a Danish gambit that resulted in Erik quickly capturing two pawns but also opened himself up to a wicked attack that James took advantage of.

Erik responded in turn, obviously pleased to have _two_ crafty players to contend with, though he honestly hadn't had James pegged for a worthy opponent. The game moved quickly for several rounds, with Erik looking pleased as he captured more important pieces and was even prepared to chide James on his game … until he realized he was playing himself into a corner. All while James calmly kept pushing Erik into sacrificing one piece after another to protect his king.

As the game progressed, Wanda drifted over to watch with Billy - both of them becoming more entertained as they watched Erik get more defensive and flustered while James calmly kept up his steady assault. When Erik tried to quiz James on his role with Stark and the Avengers, James calmly and quietly told him that _legally_ he wasn't at liberty to discuss the finer details - which seemed to irritate Erik further. Scott crossed his arms as he stood behind James with a proud smirk knowing that James had Erik moving exactly how he wanted him to. Which was about when the checking started.

"You're doing well for someone who didn't want to play" Erik said, moving his king after James checked him.

"It's really not a game I like to play," James said, then moved a bishop one square over. "Check."

Erik frowned, and took a moment to reroute his strategy. But it was already over. With every check, Erik got more desperate for a better move until James finally forced checkmate with the pawns he had left on the board and his bigger pieces still well protected and out of reach. There was no way out of it. James simply sat back waiting for Erik to admit defeat. The fact that he managed to keep a straight face after winning with _pawns_ instigating the final moves had Scott smiling wider and Rachel trying not to laugh outright.

"It seems we've come to an impasse," Erik said slowly.

"That's one way to put it," James agreed, though he crossed his arms and raised one eyebrow waiting for the concession.

"Perhaps another game, then," Erik said instead of simply conceding that he'd lost.

"Do you want to try starting white this time?" James said in an even tone that managed to sound friendly in a way Logan never could have pulled off. "Might be more in your wheelhouse."

"Maybe later," Wanda said, reaching over to rest her hand on James' shoulder with a smile. "Daddy, the boys had plans for the day. I'm sure you can find time to play another game before Scott and his family end up leaving."

"Of course," Erik agreed, sitting back and frowning at the board, to the Summers family utter amusement even as BIlly pulled James away from the game and out of the palace.

Billy didn't bother stopping until they were in the courtyard. And then, he only stopped James long enough to steal a very involved kiss and break into a laugh. "You won with his least favorite pieces forcing him into checkmate." Billy was grinning broadly. "How far ahead did you plan that?"

"After the fifth turn," James replied. "Thought it might be funny."

"He'd be so mad if he knew your long game was anywhere near that long."

James' smile slipped. "Are you going to keep telling him everything about us?"

"I … _haven't_ …" Billy stumbled on his words. "I didn't tell him _everything_ … just … what was necessary to keep him at bay."

"For how long?" James asked, though to reassure Billy that he wasn't _mad_ , he reached out to take Billy's hand.

"More in the beginning," Billy admitted after a long moment. "But I didn't say anything about where you live or what exactly you do at the tower … which … what does he have you doing?"

"I'll tell you all about it when we try out that new Kurdish place in the city," James said, then smiled crookedly. "If you want to go with me, that is."

"Are you sure you're not mad?" Billy said, almost cringing.

"No," James promised. "I'm actually kind of impressed with your spy skills. Has to be a better application for that though."

"So … does this mean you still want to go with me to my favorite spots on Genosha?" Billy asked quietly.

"Sweetheart, I still want to go with you to your favorite places _anywhere_ ," James said with a crooked sort of smirk. "Maybe we can find a few places of our own to make memorable in the process."

Billy started to smile. "I like the sound of that."

"Thought you might."

"So … if we're still on for just you and me today, then … why are we still here?"


	47. The Whole Truth

It was the day the Summers clan was set to leave the island when Scott slipped into James' room and dropped the bug into his lap.

"How?" Scott said, only not raising his voice because they were in Erik's home, " _How_ did you get this past his scanners?"

"No metal," James said, matching his volume and meter before he held his gaze for a moment and then turned to go back to packing.

"You bugged me."

"You've been shutting everyone out. We're all worried."

"You _bugged_ me." Scott narrowed his eyes. "How long?"

"Just since the dinner with all the shouting. I turned it off remotely after that. That's all it was for. I didn't want to hear anything else."

Scott frowned at that and then ran both hands over his face. "James…" He let out a breath. "I told you I came here to see how bad it was. Whatever you heard…"

"Don't worry, Dad. I won't do it again."

"James, I wouldn't betray the professor's dream," Scott said.

"Okay."

"I just want you to know - whatever you heard-" Scott let out a breath when he realized James was giving him the same sort of flat expression Logan had given him countless times when they disagreed or when Logan didn't think Scott was listening to him. "I love you. I'm just trying to make sure this doesn't explode on you now that you're all X-Men."

"Maybe this isn't the right place to talk about all this," James said, keeping the quiet, flat tone.

"James, I've done this before. The cameras and mics think you're still asleep."

"Still. You're right. There was a lot that I really shouldn't have heard that we'll probably need to discuss at some point. But I don't trust the moody tech around here."

Scott let out a sigh. "James…"

James got to his feet and reached into his pocket to hand Scott a few panic buttons. "I thought you might want to give them to Bobby, Kitty, and Alex. All things considered. Billy's mom can handle herself just fine, and I don't think Lorna is in any danger."

Scott opened his mouth to say something and then closed his eyes and nodded. "Right."

James watched him for a moment before he took the last few steps to give him a hug, since it was clear he needed it. "This is all a lot harder for everyone when you don't talk to us. Especially when I can see and smell how stressed out you are."

"I'm sorry."

"No," James said. "I'm sorry for making you this stressed out. I've been dragging down a lot more trouble than I normally do for you _and_ for Tony."

"James, no," Scott said. "This … I'm stressed because I've been a mess for years. This is _not_ your fault. You and Rachel and Nate are old enough to make your own decisions, and I've always told you there's nothing you could do that would make me love you any less. That's still true. You know that."

"Maybe, but it doesn't help when you hate everything else more."

"It's just that-" Scott took a deep breath and let it out. "You kids are my whole world. I'm struggling to adjust to adult children, clearly. That's my fault, not yours. You can't _not_ age."

James frowned at that. "I'm pretty sure _that's_ not your fault."

"It's _not_ yours," Scott said firmly.

"Are those the only choices?" James asked.

Scott almost couldn't help but smirk. "No. I think we can safely lay the blame at the feet of Graydon Creed."

James nodded at that and sighed heavily as the tension in the air really hadn't lessened at all. He clenched his teeth hard, then worked his jaw, grinding his teeth in frustration before he looked up at Scott. "Dad … I think it's time for the rest of that story."

Scott blinked at James as the realization hit and the memory of all that was thrown back and forth between himself and Magneto came rushing to the front of his mind. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough to know that I don't know what I should."

Scott let out a long breath, and when he spoke, his voice didn't hold even half of the volume or timber it usually did. "What do you want to know?"

James swallowed and frowned deeply. "I think … I think I need you to walk me through it. All of it."

Scott met James' gaze and then dropped it. "Alright," he said softly. "You're old enough now…" He took a deep breath to steady himself, though the shake as he did so was a giveaway on how unsteady Scott was to talk about it. Even after all this time. "It all came down to Graydon Creed. He hit the school while the team was gone. We weren't there to protect our families, and he killed Jubilee when she tried to shield you kids," he said, his gaze never leaving the ground. "You have to understand… that was the beginning of the end for Logan. Jubilee was like a little sister or a daughter to him. When she was new to the team, he used to call her his lifeline. And he meant it. Seeing her like that…" He closed his eyes as James frowned deeper on hearing the wording.

"Graydon Creed showed up with Mia in his arms. She was only a year old," Scott said, the anger still clear to hear in his tone at the memory. "If we didn't surrender, he'd kill you. All of you. What choice did we have?"

"None," James breathed out, wide-eyed at how quickly the story was spiraling downward.

Scott nodded, looking perfectly miserable. "Once he had us captive, he did everything he could to torture us. You know how Ororo is with small spaces… and your mother… she was just as seasoned as your father in being tortured, but we could hear her screaming and swearing in Swedish. They didn't stop long enough to let her think, which is why when Graydon sent her and Kurt to kill Magneto's Brotherhood, the best plan she could come up with to call Magneto for help was to kill Pietro. She knew it would get him running and that he'd tear everything apart to find us."

"I didn't know that," James said quietly.

"She didn't want Graydon to get his hands on Pietro," Scott said softly. "Graydon ordered her to leave one alive, presumably so he could use them down the road, and she didn't want the only one of that group with a shred of decency to get destroyed and tortured like we were. _And he would have been_. You have to understand - your mother had a knack for finding loopholes even when she and Kurt couldn't disobey orders."

"Or he'd hurt us kids," James finished.

Scott nodded. "He had a kill switch on Rachel," he said. "She was in Kindergarten." He let the statement hang in the air between them for a while as he tried to control his emotions before he cleared his throat to continue on. "Graydon was testing the rest of us to see our limits. He threatened to dry Bobby out and beat him to death if- if Logan didn't beat him down instead. It was the only way to save Bobby's life, you have to understand. If he hadn't done it, Bobby -" Scott broke himself off.

"You don't know that," James said, barely shaking his head no. "It was a threat from a lunatic."

"No, James," Scott said, his voice catching more than before, and then he leaned over, his head in his hands as he tried to get a hold of himself. "God, he ran the same racket with me," he breathed out. "He - James, he told me - I had to - but I _couldn't_ bring myself to hurt the professor," he said, his voice sounding smaller with every word as his shoulders started to shake, and he was talking into his hands. "I _couldn't."_

Dawning comprehension lit up James' face as he held his breath listening to Scott. "Dad, no."

"They killed him. I couldn't - I couldn't save him and they-"

"That wasn't …. You couldn't have changed that," James said in a whisper.

"I could have done what Logan did," Scott said miserably. "Bobby looked worse than he was. It was all well-placed… Bobby walked out of that place, James. He lived because your father knew well enough on how to make it look bad. But I _couldn't_ hurt the professor. I couldn't do it, and they killed him and -" He took a breath that hitched horribly. "And I barely had time to breathe before they brought Logan in. I couldn't even _think_ until Graydon explained … He had you in the other room and Logan…" He shook his head.

"Wait. You lost your sight because of …" James stopped himself, unable to say out loud what he knew was the case, even as he rested one hand over his heart.

"I lost my sight because I couldn't hurt the professor," Scott said. "Graydon was clear on that much. I wouldn't use my powers for him, so he wouldn't let me keep them."

"But he didn't threaten to kill you for it."

"No," Scott said. "I never understood that. I don't know if he was trying to torture Jean when he was rightly afraid of approaching her directly or if he was building the misery on Logan making him do it so soon after he beat Bobby or if he thought it would be too kind to kill me…"

"Probably all of it," James said.

Scott nodded, almost numb by that point. "After that… I can only tell you what happened that I heard or that the others told me," he said. "He sent K and Kurt to capture his father - and that… that was the beginning of the end. Victor Creed … _Sabretooth_ was a sadist, and he _hated_ your father for being better than he was. He had been threatening to kill everyone Logan loved for longer than Logan could remember."

"Why hadn't Logan killed him?" James asked, frowning.

"They… were fairly evenly matched," Scott admitted. "There were times Logan would barely escape a fight. And the times he won…" He paused. "Logan lived and breathed the dream too, James. I know what the reports say, but he wanted to be better. And he was a samurai at heart. He tried to be merciful."

"No, I believe you," James said, deciding to try and give Scott a little peace of mind. "A while ago - right around my birthday, actually- Billy ran a spell for me. I was really struggling with … everything. It was kind of a gift. It - he helped me to remember whatever memories were just too … " James took a moment to try to control the shake in his voice that came when he'd think about those memories. "It was from when I was too little to remember it myself. And I _saw_ how they were with me. You undersold it, Dad."

Scott let out a sound and then grabbed James to pull him tightly into a hug. "You've been so loved your whole life, James. I just wish you had them."

"Me too," he admitted for the first time since he was very small. "But I have _you_. And I don't know where I'd be without you."

Scott held on a little tighter, and the two of them stayed that way until Scott had a better hold of himself. "Right," he said, clearing his throat. "I'm sorry. I was… where?"

"Everything was awful."

"That's the whole story," Scott said, then nodded to himself. "But… Victor Creed was what tipped the scales. I've told you about carbonadium, right?"

James nodded. "Avoid."

"Creed had a carbonadium knife," Scott said.

"What?" James said, blinking at him for a long moment.

"He came to where we were being held with a _plan_ in place. Graydon Creed might have captured us, but his father was the one to destroy us," Scott said.

"He …he had to wait until they were locked up before he even …"

Scott nodded. "Exactly. He came knowing none of us could stop him, and he let himself into your mother's cell _first_." He paused. "I don't know exactly what happened. I couldn't see it. But I could hear it and… James, she fought him so hard. And he … he did everything he could to make sure your father saw her suffer."

James was very still as he listened to the story, though his hands were in fists at his sides.

"Eventually, he killed her, and then your father reached through the bars when Sabretooth got close enough to him while he was gloating. Logan took his head off," Scott said almost dully.

"Good."

Scott nodded. "And if that had been all, that probably would have been the end of it," he said, slowly, carefully. "We would have mourned. Your father would have been a wreck. But he'd lost women he loved before … _we'd_ lost people but-" He took a deep breath. "We'd never lost a child before. Victor Creed only managed to get a hold of your mother by telling Logan that his son was begging for him when he died." He looked up at James. "It wasn't a lie. They would have picked that up too fast. It was just a different son."

James was holding his breath by that point and very gently shaking his head.

"His name was Akihiro. From Logan's marriage before your mother. They didn't have a good relationship… Logan thought he was dead, but years later Akihiro came back brainwashed into hating him. We didn't even _know_ he'd been caught, but Graydon had been using him to learn how to kill a healer. We think it was so he could learn how to kill his father." Scott shook his head. "It wasn't a lie. So… there we were, half of us still in our cells. Logan had _just_ lost K _and he thought_ he'd lost you and…James, the two of you were his whole world. In all the years I knew him, he was never as happy as when he had you two." He couldn't hold James' gaze and was trying to keep going, but it was obvious he was on the brink of breaking down. "I'm so sorry, James. If I could have _seen_ him, I could have stopped him. I _should_ have stopped him, and I'm so sorry."

"No," James said, shaking his head.

" _That's_ what made Jean lose control," Scott said in a breath of a whisper. "Losing the professor… seeing me hurt and blinded… losing _you,_ losing K, losing Logan … You were _three_ years old. It was so senseless."

James didn't bother to wipe the tears off as he listened to Scott. He wanted to reply. He knew he should, he just … didn't know _how_.

"I couldn't get her back, James. I couldn't talk her down. She was so wrapped up in grief, even when she saw you were alive… it just made losing Logan so much more _pointless_ and I couldn't … I tried everything. I tried to remind her of our kids, of you, of Mia… I tried _everything_ and Kurt had to kill her when I couldn't and-"

James moved over to pull Scott into another tight hug. "If the tables had been turned, and it was you that had lost all of that and been lied to about Rachel and Nate… it's not your fault," James said in a hushed whisper.

Scott buried his face in James' shoulder. "I'm so sorry," he breathed out.

"Why are you sorry?" James asked, though he hadn't stopped crying either. "After all that - after _everything_ , you took care of us. _Alone_."

"I had to keep you safe," Scott said.

"Yeah, but you didn't have to do it alone," James said, shaking his head. "I'm glad you did. I am. But you took on all of us - and you _didn't_ have to deal with me. I know you didn't. One of the others would have taken me, and it could have been _so much_ easier for you."

"You're my godson," Scott said. "There was no way I'd let you go without. I knew who would come for you kids. You couldn't go to someone who wasn't prepared."

"That's why you had Natasha around sometimes," James said. "Your security expert."

Scott nodded. "That's why I kept you away from the teams," he said. "I … I'm sorry. It was the only thing I could think of that would take you out of my protection…"

"I get it," James said. "Please don't apologize for that or anything close to it. You have _always_ done everything you could to take care of us and keep us safe. We know that. _I_ know that. But there's a lot that no one knows."

"I didn't want anyone to try to tear their memories down because they lost hope."

"And I did that myself," James said.

"I would have told you when you first started looking if it was anything easier to tell you," Scott said.

"No, when you didn't want to tell me, I knew it had to be bad," James said. "There's no good way to tell someone that their parents died in a murder and suicide. Especially when I was how they got there." He looked down at his hands as he finished his statement. "He had to have tried it before. To have gotten it done."

"I thought the same thing," Scott said. "And he had. I … looked into a few things while you were still young. I hadn't realized how much Logan had struggled with those thoughts. I didn't know ..."

"So that's something I need to know and be aware of," James said, then quickly held up one hand. "Just that he did it. Not … the details on how."

Scott nodded and scrubbed both hands over his face as he tried to get himself back together. "Yeah."

The two of them were quiet for a long moment as they tried to get control of themselves. "We heard what you said about what we meant to you," James said. "You have to know the reverse is true, too. Not one of us can stand the thought of anything happening to you, either."

"I'm sorry you had to listen to me talking to Magneto, then. That was-"

"That wasn't just talk," James said, shoring up his voice a little. "I love you, and you're great at a lot of things, but you're _not_ that good of an actor."

"All lies are based on truth," Scott said. "That was the route Kitty and I knew would work. I'm a tired, worried father."

"At the very end of your rope, too," James said before he leaned forward to catch Scott's gaze. "Dad, if my working on this team is going to send you anywhere _near_ where _Logan_ was, I will quit right now and _never_ look back."

Scott blinked at James and then grabbed him around the shoulders to yank him into a hug. "I love you too."

* * *

Once James and Scott had slightly better holds on their emotions, it was, in fact, time to head out, so they rounded up Rachel and the twins to leave. Scott made sure to hug Kitty and Bobby both on the way out - and leave them with panic buttons and bugs. But what they weren't expecting was for Erik to actually come to see them off himself.

"I hope you know that you're welcome back here at any time," Erik said, much more amenable than he had been before - though that in itself was suspicious and suggested he either thought he had the upper hand or had some kind of plan to gain it. "I enjoyed our short time together. Our chess games were incredibly insightful. I'd love to find a way to make it a more regular occurrence."

"That might be nice." Scott nodded, one hand on James' back as they boarded the jet. "You know, Alex has invited me back a few times too," he said.

"Perhaps you'll consider coming for the summer," Erik said mildly. "I would be interested to see all three of your children outside of the teams they're on."

Everyone paused at that, and even Wanda, who was giving Tommy one last, lingering hug stopped to watch Erik for a moment.

Finally, it was Scott who said, "We'll think about it," while pushing James slightly behind him in an entirely unconscious move. "It'll depend on Nate's football training schedule."

"And ... I have my Stark contracts," James said.

"I'm sure you'll find your arrangement with Tony Stark to be more flexible than you _believe it_ to be, my boy," Erik said before he smiled warmly at Billy, who did a fine job of keeping Erik's mood even in spite of the threat hidden in Erik's words.

Scott nodded. "We'll consider it. If nothing else, I might come back for Alex's birthday." He smiled tightly. "Thanks again for your hospitality," he said, turning to leave with James, though it wasn't until they were in the jet that he said under his breath just for James, "You kids are _not_ coming back. That was an invitation to stay permanently."

"Not surprised," James said softly. "Especially after his little lab tour. You shouldn't be coming back either then."

"I told you I'm working with Kitty. If I come back here, it'll be to put a stop to him. I'm _not_ planning to stay that long."

"Just needed to clarify," James said.

"Love you too," Scott said quietly before he let out a breath and then went to where Rachel was to nudge shoulders with her and then pull his arm around her in a hug, showing a lot more life than he had on the way to Genosha.

James had managed to slip into the single jumpseat near the emergency exit and was already half drawn up on himself, which left Billy wondering what he'd missed as he gave James a little room to process whatever it was that had him looking like _that_. Even if he wanted to try and help somehow. But instead of upsetting him further, Billy turned his sights to the rest of the Summers clan for answers.

"You're _waaay_ more fun on a mission," Billy said to Scott from across the way as he and Tommy found their seats - somewhat close to James for when he did finally look like he was willing to talk.

"I am?" Scott replied, one eyebrow raised his way.

"Seriously," Billy said, nodding with a grin. "This family is the _best_ for ticking off Gramp-neto."

"Do you really call him that?" Scott asked, amused despite himself.

"He hates it," Billy said. "So yes. Sometimes."

"I thought you two were close. You seriously don't get along with him, do you?" Rachel asked, frowning, since she couldn't imagine not getting along with her family.

"We are close," Billy said, then shrugged. "It really is hard to defend him when he's being like that, though. He doesn't really get along with anyone most of the time, honestly," Billy said. "He can be amazing, sometimes, but most of the time it's just reminding you of what kind of a disappointment you are if you're not following his orders to the letter."

"Or - how much you look or _act_ like someone else," Tommy said, waving the tips of his fingers. "He's called me 'Pietro' almost as much as he does 'Thomas'."

"Ah, well, that part is at least normal," Scott said. "I've almost called a few people by the wrong name myself."

"Anyone you want to fess up to?" Billy asked with an amused glint in his eyes.

"Not particularly," Scott said with a smirk before he turned Billy's way. "But for the record, you're not a disappointment. If he thinks so, he doesn't see what I see. Why do you think I'm glad you're dating James?"

"That … is an interesting question," Billy said.

Scott smiled and then took a few steps over to put a hand on Billy's shoulder. "Wanda, can I borrow your kid?" he teased.

"Oh, that … isn't as funny as you think it is," Billy laughed.

"Sure it is," Scott said. "Besides, we all know she could destroy me in a blink if she wanted, so she's not worried."

"She's pretty relieved, if you want to know the truth," Billy admitted.

"Really?"

"Sure. Good influences - get us away from the whole insistence that we're treated like royalty wherever we go?"

Scott smiled and ducked his head so their conversation was more private. "You're a good influence too," he said quietly. "James told me what you did for him."

"He did?" Billy said, whisper quiet, glancing over to where James was curled in on himself and looking out his window.

"Mmhmm. That spell let him see his parents for who they were … that's something I've tried to do for him his whole life. I can't tell you how important that was for him."

Billy blushed. "It seemed like the right thing to do."

Scott nodded, and instead of saying anything else, he simply pulled Billy into a tight hug.


	48. Stateside Fiascoes

The instant that the jet landed in Westchester, Tommy was out the door like a shot. As far as he was concerned, he'd spent far too much time around his brother and his moody broody sweetheart. He would much rather spend time with his girlfriend - who was an adventure and a half all on her own.

He was already planning to run them somewhere remote so they could catch up - though he had to get past Storm first. And that lady was scary good at knowing when he was around. Tommy was sure Psylocke was helping conspire against his idea of fun.

He figured he'd talk to her first, conveniently not tell her where they were going, and kidnap Mia for some fun. Foolproof.

So, he zipped into Storm's office in the middle of what looked like boring paper grading nonsense - so of course she was glad for the distraction. He knew she was. "Hey, so, my grandfather doesn't like independent thought and totally invited the Summerses over to make them stop having it - are you gonna finish that?" He grabbed up the half-eaten sandwich and gulped it down. "Oh, and did you know Cyclops is playing some long chess game of mind tricks with Grandfather? Because he's kinda freaking us all out."

"I had wondered what the sudden draw to Genosha was about," Ororo replied. "Though to be honest, I thought he might have been considering moving there, finally."

Tommy shook his head. "No way. He and the ex-X-Men on Genosha are conspiring. My mom knows something too but won't tell us. Pretty sure they're getting ready to overthrow him, if you ask me." He shrugged. "Or try to get him to reverse course. Mom tries a lot - I mean a lot - so this may be some last-ditch stop-being-crazy scheme…"

"You can't use a term like 'crazy scheme' in conjunction with Cyclops; that's just not Scott." Storm shook her head. "But I can see him trying to help your mother get Erik to reverse course - if that is indeed what he's doing, it's not a crazy scheme. So … why don't you tell me what you've learned since the last time we spoke since it sounds like you are speculating."

Tommy grinned and dove into his update, telling her how the kids had all been watching what the adults were up to and wanted to help if they could. How he and Billy knew their grandfather was wrong about humans and were getting in trouble for it. How he was pretty sure he had witnessed Scott officially welcome Billy into the family with a hug.

"So, yeah. It's us versus Grampneto," he summed up. "Which, I gotta warn you, is gonna make this harder. If Grandfather thinks we're turning against him, I don't know if he can be talked down. He likes the family to fall in line." He rolled his eyes. "It sucks, you know that?"

"I know that far too well to deny," Ororo replied. "Thank you, Tommy, for telling me what my old friend may be up to. I do appreciate it." Ororo took a hold of his arm before he could zip off. "The curfew is still the same, Mr. Maximoff. The other rules are also still in effect. Please keep that in mind."

"No exceptions for the super spy?" Tommy grinned brilliantly. "Not even a little bit?"

"Half an hour past curfew," Ororo said finally. "And welcome back. I'm glad to see you."

"Good to be home," Tommy told her, completely missing the importance of his casual statement as he rushed off to say hi to Mia, even though Ororo caught it and was smiling despite herself to hear that Tommy considered the school home.

As soon as Billy and James had said their much more conventional goodbyes, the Summers family headed back toward the city in Scott's car. Rachel was in the front with her father and James was half-leaned over in the back, still deep in thought. And Scott was lost in his own thoughts as well, digesting all he'd seen on Genosha.

He didn't like any of what he'd seen, if he was honest. But seeing how Erik treated his James… he knew he'd have to step in. He needed to formulate a plan. He needed time. When he'd first agreed to work with Kitty, he'd thought this would be his last hurrah, one last play at being an X-Man, but after all he'd talked to James about, he was trying to be more careful…

All while shielding himself from all three of his kids. They didn't need to know what he was planning. Not the full extent of it. He still remembered how upset James had been over what he'd found about Logan's participation in X-Force. The last thing Scott wanted to do was give him another reason to think his parents were dirty - only this time, it would be Scott himself playing dirty.

So, the car ride was quiet, even if Scott could feel Rachel gently brushing the edges of his mind to test whether or not he'd let her in. Which meant that their loud greeting from Nate and Kate both was almost jarring.

"Oh my god, you picked the worst cockblocker in the world and we were only kissing you overbearing so and so!" Kate declared as soon as she saw Scott.

Scott smirked at Warren. "Nice job."

"I almost forgot how much I loved doing that," Warren laughed before he pulled Scott over for a tight hug. "Glad to see you guys managed to escape. Sure you weren't ready to take up the room next to Alex and Lorna?"

"And listen to Magneto butcher the professor's dream at every dinner? Sounds like a dream," Scott replied without missing a beat.

"Every one?" Warren said, cringing.

"Sometimes at breakfast too," Rachel put in helpfully.

"He stopped that pretty quick," James added as he handed Rachel her bag from the back. "He had to shut up to play Dad, after all."

"Sounds awful, but did we mention we spent the week with Moodkiller Supreme?" Kate said, jerking her thumb over her shoulder at Warren. "Because that bears repeating."

"That sounds awful. How did you ever survive?" James deadpanned just to get a rise out of Kate.

"We didn't. I'm dead. You're talking to a ghost, James," Kate said seriously, and Nate snorted.

"If that were true, I'm sure Aunt Nat would have been over to set Warren straight but … clearly, they weren't concerned about imminent death from not gettin' any," James said.

"If that were the case, Tommy would have died months ago," Rachel said with a smirk.

"Tommy has been sneakier than you know," Kate said, not spilling all the secrets when the adults were around.

"Yeah, but not as sneaky as he'd like to be," James said before he pushed her shoulder.

"Anyway, how was Genosha?" Nate asked. "You didn't get branded 'prince consort' or something, right?"

"You're hilarious," James said. "It was hot. And sunny. And you missed out on Alex's version of a tour." he shrugged carelessly. "Nothing notable, really."

"Darn. I was hoping you had nightmare tales of the grandfather cockblocker," Kate said dryly.

"Um … not anything worth repeating," James said, turning away from the conversation. "Dad's probably got more to say about that." He didn't feel much like sharing, and truth be told, he'd teased about as much as he could stomach anyhow. And he really didn't feel like talking about Magneto. At all.

"I'm not in the mood to comment on my sons' love lives," Scott said dryly. "Other than to tell Warren 'job well done,'" he added, smirking at his old friend.

"Cowardly," Warren said with a laugh. "And what sounds like an admission that you weren't thinking about that." Warren grinned wider. "Unless you thought Wanda wasn't going to get in Erik's face about being … himself."

"Okay, that's enough, thanks," James said. "I don't know if you're advocating or just trying to rile, but that's plenty."

"He's been in a sickeningly good mood by wrecking ours," Kate stage-whispered to James.

James gave her a dry look. "Who could ever have predicted that a guy that goes by 'Angel' would get his rocks off by forcing celibacy on teenagers? I am not shocked nor offended."

"Because he wasn't bothering you," Nate said, which had Warren grinning wider.

"I love this family," Warren said as he reached out to muss up Nate's hair. "See you guys Friday night, Kate!"

"Don't listen to him," Rachel advised. "And - I brought you both something since you missed out on the sand, the sun, and the magically enhanced surf."

"See, she likes me," Nate said, smirking at his sister and putting an arm around her shoulders. "What'd you bring me?" he teased, even as Scott said goodbye to Warren and Kate and Nate helped get the bags inside.

As Warren started to head home, Rabbi Cohen swung by to check in. It was clear that he hadn't been expecting them to show up mid-morning. "Scott!" he called out when he saw the two older X-Men parting company just outside of the front door. "Welcome home."

"Thanks, Toby, it's a relief to be back," Scott said before he and Warren shared a fond smile and Warren headed out with his wings strapped down tightly under his trench coat. Scott looked over his shoulder as the sounds of his kids getting settled in echoed out onto the stoop. Nate was being … Nate about not having been able to see Genosha - and Rachel was teasing him about having missed out. Clearly, she'd missed her brother terribly. "We just got in, Toby…"

"I was hoping I could pin you down for a time to chat," Toby Cohen said, smiling warmly at him as he came up the steps.

Scott was hesitating, looking like he'd rather be just about anywhere else - especially since he needed to keep his focus on the task at hand … and he needed to see how much intel he could get about Genosha before he made a plan. "Now … isn't the best time," Scott said finally, not even hiding how distracted he was.

"What about later this week then?" Toby asked as James stepped into the doorway just beyond Scott.

"I can't … I don't know what the week is going to bring," Scott said, and he would have simply ditched with all the chaos inside if it wasn't for James blocking him from closing the door with a muted apology. Scott looked between James and Toby as James came outside and sat down on the front step. "I need to stop your brother and sister." He glanced at Toby, sure that he'd meet a brick wall with James as usual and the kid would gloss over a few things for Toby's sake. "I'll call you."

With that, Scott slipped inside and Toby let out a sigh, his shoulders dropping as he did so. "I suppose you won't tell me much about the trip then," Toby said as he sat down with James. The boy wasn't great for conversation unless he had to be, but he would be polite.

"Not on the stoop, no," James admitted - but it was a clear invitation compared to how James usually reacted and Toby's curiosity was piqued.

"Where would you like to chat then?"

James drew in a deep breath and considered him for a moment. "I … don't really want to worry you," James started to say. "But … if you have time, I think I do need to talk to someone - and I would rather it was you instead of one of the Avengers or Dad's old team." He paused and corrected himself. "What's left of them, anyhow.

"Did something happen during the break?" Toby asked, his tone shifting to concern easily - especially since James, out of the three of the kids was the least likely to say anything, let alone open the conversation like this.

"Yes and no," James admitted, then glanced up and down the street. "I know it's paranoid -"

"Would you like to walk with me down to my office?" Toby asked quietly, though he was sure James was going to balk. So he was even more off guard when after a moment, the young man nodded slowly.

"Yeah. I'm just … let me text Dad. I'll bring him coffee when I go back."

Toby was nearly holding his breath as he watched James whip up the text to his father, but he realized as he watched him that he looked somehow more pale than usual … especially after seeing the glowing tans that Scott and Rachel were wearing. But it was such a big step, Toby didn't want to joke at the wrong moment and shatter whatever it was that was going on.

The two of them got to their feet and started down the road - James with his hands buried in the kangaroo pocket of his hoodie. He walked with his chin tipped down, but his eyes were watchful all the same. When they got to Toby's office, it took a few minutes for James to steel himself to open his mouth, and when he did, Toby was clearly not expecting any of what James had to say.

James started out by telling Toby that he'd been having trouble over the past few years, but he'd been trying to deal with it himself. He skipped over many of the details, but was sure to make it clear that for the longest time, James had been convinced that he was living on borrowed time. It was rare for him to talk that way at all, and it was clear that the admission had him anxious. But he was slowly pushing through what he thought was necessary information on him before he hit Toby with the pertinent details about his parents.

He told Toby about the twisted scenarios that had left Scott blinded and how his mother had caused a deeper rift between the team and Magneto - which he was sure was a point of contention now that he was dating Billy. James told him about his older brother that he didn't know had existed, and how that had facilitated how his mother had been murdered, and at that point Toby had to stop him and take a moment himself to process.

James folded his hands in his lap and swallowed hard as Toby got up and paced the room, covering his shock by starting up a pot of coffee and promising that he simply wanted ot make sure they had something to keep them going for a little bit. And the timing was good since James needed to reorganize his thoughts anyhow.

When the coffee was done - and both of them were holding a mug - James sighed heavily, and on Toby's urging, continued by telling Toby how his father had died after dealing with his mother's murderer. Before Toby could say a word, James looked up and held his gaze. "I know I was already high risk," James said. "And before you ask, no. I have never had a plan and I'm not tempted now. But it made everything sort of fall into place when I heard the full story."

"That doesn't make me feel any better, James. It only gives me more grounds to be concerned."

"I know," James agreed, both hands around the mug as he subtly drew in the steam rising up from the coffee it held as a means to soothe himself. "But I'm not done, Rabbi. I was there with Dad when Aunt Jean lost control. Apparently, I was what made her lose it."

"That's not true," Toby said. "It's just not true."

"But it is," James replied slowly. "I had no control over it, I know… I'm not delusional. But my being there put her over the edge, and she couldn't get it back after that. She might still be here if they had killed me." He kept his focus on the dark liquid in his mug. "I've seen Rachel panic. I've talked her down when she thought she was going to lose her control … a little. And knowing that sooner or later, one of those weapons programs will find me - and they will take me -"

"You don't know that they'd come, "Toby tried to reason.

"Yes, I do," James replied, looking up to hold his gaze finally. "I've seen the reports and the intel the Avengers have. They never quit looking. And there is a large number of them looking now. More in the past few months, actually. I'm not trying to argue probability though," James told him.

Toby sighed heavily and nodded gently. "How did spring break turn into hearing this story? If you tell me that Magneto told you-"

"Dad told me," James said. "Magneto just wants to keep me there so Billy won't want to stay here."

"And you're sure that's all Magneto wants from you?"

"I'm sure he'd figure something out … at least as long as Billy's interested. After that, though- all bets are off."

"I thought you boys were doing well?"

"I think we are," James said, then took a moment to set the coffee mug aside. "Rabbi Cohen … I don't want to be the cause of anything else falling apart. But it seems like it's just … going to happen sooner or later. I don't want my Dad to have to deal with it. I don't think he can - and I don't want my brother and sister to get caught because of me - or for Rachel to slip. Or Nate. He gets overlooked for how dangerous Rachel potentially can be, but Nate is not the weakest of the three of us."

"And what about Billy?"

James thought it over for a few seconds, keeping in mind the story Billy had told him about accidentally wishing his brother out of existence for a moment. "I think that Billy … might over react. But he's got a good support system-"

"So do you, James," Toby said before he reached over and rested a hand on his arm. James looked up at him and it was clear to Toby that there was more. "James …"

"I only found this out after Dad found the bug I planted on him."

"You're spying on your father?" Toby asked, sounding somewhere between surprised and impressed.

"Just the once," James replied quickly, one hand up. "And only because he's not talking to any of us. He's actively blocking Rachel and Nate from reaching him telepathically and we were worried about him."

Toby couldn't help the warm smile as it crept across his features. "He's worried about you."

But James shook his head at that. "No. It's more than that. He's trying to win Magneto's trust and he's not handling anything to do with us or him or … any of it well. I was mad to start, but-" he took a deep breath to settle himself out. "I offered to go back to how things were before we ... " he cleared his throat and tipped his head. He figured that Toby Cohen was smart enough to figure out who it was in the masks and uniforms, but he wasn't going to blow it on a technicality with his father or Natasha. Especially sine their strained approval was based on the kids keeping their identities secret. At least until they were busted. "I told him I'd do whatever it took if it made things easier for him, if it'd keep him from following in my father's footsteps." He held Toby's gaze for a long moment as the rabbi processed exactly what James was telling him.

"Do you think that's a possibility?" Toby asked quietly- carefully.

"I do," James said, looking entirely distressed about it, but then he hedged. "Maybe. I don't … after everything he went through to keep us safe, I don't …" He cut himself off again as he reached for the right sentiment, and Toby gave him the chance t find it without any guidance. "If he gives up, it'll be our fault."

"No."

"Yes," James insisted. "He wasn't this bad until we showed up with X-badges on our uniforms. It would absolutely be our fault."

"James," Toby said carefully. "I can understand how you would feel that way, but you can't hold the responsibility for someone else's choices."

"I know." He looked up to meet Toby's gaze. "Doesn't change how it feels though."

"True. But - now, we can start trying to talk through some of this. Starting with making sure that you are okay. I know you're not. You can't be after hearing those things. But you need to believe me when I tell you that none of that was your fault. On any level!"

James' mouth tightened up. "Rationally, I know that."

"But it's not about rationality," Toby agreed. "So. We know that you need to spend time with me … once a week?" James nodded almost reluctantly. "Maybe twice."

"If once isn't enough," James said finally - which had Toby smiling softly.

"If it was anyone else, I'd be asking for three, but I want to trust you to work on this. Especially since you brought it to me. That was very mature. So … we'll start with once a week and see how things go. We can meet here. Just like this. But I don't want you wandering around with those thoughts in your head and no tools to deal with them."

"That's why I wanted to talk to you," James admitted. "I wasn't okay on my own before all of this. I was hanging in there, but this … changes everything. I know my father fought with suicidal thoughts. And I know that explains a lot as far as how I've thought from time to time."

"I'm going to hope that knowing those things doesn't change everything in your perception, though," Toby said. "It doesn't change who you are. And it doesn't change the fact that your family and friends love you. So. Let's start there - and if, down the road, you want to bring one of them with you, we can do that, too."

When the news reported on an MRD attack against a mutant halfway house, the new group of X-Men didn't even have to discuss it before they'd grabbed their uniforms and met at the scene, not wanting to waste any time with a rendezvous when there were mutants getting pummeled like that.

"It's been forever since we did this," Mia said as she and Tommy were first to the scene and started rushing to get the people out. They weren't fully engaging the MRD - not yet - just trying to get people out of danger. So it was when the rest of the team arrived that the fight got interesting.

Nate and Rachel were working together to throw the MRD agents around - into each other and through walls. All to keep the MRD from any remaining mutants, and not at all because they were racist jerks that were asking for it both verbally and through the projected thoughts that the Summers kids could easily pick up.

Meanwhile, Kate and James were both working to coax a couple incredibly young mutants out of their hiding places - one was hiding under the stairs and another one in a closet.

When it was clear the kids weren't coming closer, James pulled his cowl off and relaxed his body language as he tried to coax the little boy under the stairs to come out. "It's okay, bud. We're not scary. I promise," James told him in a gentle tone and with a half smile in place.

The little guy looked up at James with a trembling lower lip. "I'm scared," he muttered into his knees.

"I'll bet you are. You know what? Me too," James said, smiling a little wider at him. He waved with the tips of his fingers. "I'm James. Wanna tell me your name so we can be friends?"

"I'm Ollie," the freckle-faced kid said quietly.

"Nice to meet you Ollie," James said as he offered him his hand. Ollie stared at it for a moment before he took James' hand and when he did, James was sure to gently shake it then let go. "This place is pretty scary. You want to go with me and get out of here, or would you rather say hi to my brother first?"

At that, Nate waved over his shoulder with a brilliant smile, and Ollie looked between them with a small frown. "Can you get my sister?" he asked James quietly. "I told her to hide, and she did, but I can't go without her. It's my job to keep her safe." His eyes welled up with tears, obviously scared of where his little sister might be in all this mess.

"I can find your sister for you Ollie. I'll make it my job to get her to you," James said, relaxing his shoulders more. "Do you know where she is?"

He nodded and pointed to a different room, close by where Kate was talking down another little girl. "She's in the pantry in the kitchen."

"Then I'll find her for you." James nodded and got to his feet. "Can you stick with my little brother, Ollie?"

"Uh-huh."

"Great," James said, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "Then I'll get your sister and you can both get out of this scary building."

Ollie smiled and then darted over to hug James. "Thanks," he whispered.

"No problem. We gotta watch out for our little brothers and sisters," James said as he returned the hug, sure to take a careful and deep breath to find the familial scent. Even if she was where Ollie said, it would help to find her faster. "You gonna be okay with my little brother, Ollie? He's kind of a dork sometimes." James said - if nothing else to be sure Nate had the kid's name.

Ollie nodded, but had a crooked smile in place. "I'm okay," he promised, and Nate picked him up and put him on his shoulders to get him out.

James smiled, but he didn't pull his cowl back on - not when he knew he was headed for another little kid. He waved at the little girl Kate was coaxing, earning himself a giggle from her then jogged down to the next room over and right away, he knew Ollie wasn't wrong. The scent of fear was thick in the air and it didn't take long to find the little girl hidden in a cabinet, peeking out of the door. He crouched down by the cabinet and knocked on the door, even going so far as to wait for her to open the door. She squeaked, but didn't close it and James tipped his head and smiled at her. "Hi," he said, doing what he could to sound friendly. "Are you Ollie's sister?"

The little girl nodded and as James reached for her, there was a deep boom that rattled the whole building, shaking the floor as bits of debris fell from the ceiling and a few things fell off the shelves. "Alright, come on, sweetheart," James said, holding his hands out to her. "Let's go find your big brother, huh?"

She was sucking her thumb, and it took a moment but she darted forward just a few seconds before a second explosion rocked the building a lot harder than the first. James curled around her as she let out a little terrified squeak and buried her face in his chest. "It's okay," James said. "I'll do everything I can to get you to your brother."

Nate had just set Ollie down outside when Kate came out carrying the little girl she'd coaxed out of the closet she'd been hiding in, and he grinned over at her. "That everyone?"

"Rachel's doing a sweep, but it looks like the little girl James went after is the last one," Kate said.

Nate nodded and turned to Ollie. "You gonna be okay with Hawkeye? She's alright, I promise."

Ollie nodded and took Kate's free hand, as Nate started back in the building to help the others deal with the MRD - only to get blown off his feet when the MRD tried to bring the building down with an explosion.

Nate let out a curse when he hit the ground, though before he could get his feet underneath him, a second explosion went off - and that one did bring the building down. Nate only had a second to cover his head and try to minimize the damage, but something hit him hard, and the next thing he knew, everything had gone black.

When the building came down, the X-Men were all trying to take stock of each other, and it only took Rachel a few seconds after the rumbling stopped to panic. She frantically reached out to find everyone, coughing and trying to see through the dust and debris long before it could disperse. The twins and Mia were okay… Kate was with some kids who were freaking out over the loud noises… James? Nate? Rachel was higher off the ground than she meant to be as she looked for her brothers. Come on; answer me, please!

When neither of them immediately answered, Rachel started to panic, flinging out one hand to start picking up the still-smoldering ruins of the building and search for the boys. Guys, answer me! she projected, unaware that some of the smoldering ruins hadn't been smoldering around her until she got close to them.

She lifted up part of the entryway and saw that her baby brother had been trapped underneath part of a wall. He was bloody, still, and covered in dust. Rachel touched down with panic and fire just behind her eyes, barely able to breathe until she found Nate's pulse. And then she nearly cried in relief. She was simply too upset to think.

Mia hit the button to call for Avengers backup and then teleported over to where Rachel was, her eyes wide. "Hey, um, you need to find James and also you're kind of on fire," she blurted out.

"What?" Rachel asked, and the fire behind her eyes turned tangible as she started to panic on realizing she had only found one brother. Frantically, she reached out searching for James.

Rachel, James projected out to her after she managed to break through his psychic defenses without meaning to. I'm okay. The little girl is okay. We're just pinned down pretty solid.

Oh thank God, Rachel projected back. Where are you? Nate's hurt. I - I'm freaking out, James.

Don't freak out, he replied, his mental tone calm even if it was strained. Everyone's safe, so just breathe and relax. I've got a beam and some debris on me. I'm stuck tight. I didn't get out of the pantry before it fell. So you're doing just fine.

I'm on fire! Rachel projected, clearly panicked.

So maybe think about not doing that or find me so we can roast some marshmallows. It would be good for this little girl, who is barely keeping from crying because she's playing with my face.

It was such an unexpected response that Rachel was surprised into a laugh - and that helped to calm her down at least enough that the fire was less intense and had pulled back to just her eyes. Right. Rachel smiled to herself as she reached out to brush the toddler's mind, entertained when she saw through her eyes how James was playing with her - nipping at her hand when she covered his mouth.

Seriously, Rach. Get some s'mores going. I can almost reach the graham crackers. But then I'd have to let go of this toddler, and she will definitely cry if I let her go right now. Pretty sure we're trying to avoid that kind of thing.

You're hilarious, she said as she floated his way, following his mental signature and the little girl's giggles until she found where the two of them were. It took some work to telekinetically move some debris and lift up part of the wall and the beam that was on them. But it was easier to cope when the toddler was oohing and aahing over Rachel's powerset, even before she could see her.

When she finally moved a section of brick wall off of a beam, and she saw how James was curled around the little girl, she couldn't help but gasp. Especially when she saw how hurt James was - and still somehow managing to keep the toddler in his arms safe and blocked from getting hurt or seeing his damage. "Ohmigosh."

"It's okay, sis. You didn't see anything," James said before he asked Liza to cover her eyes while he pulled himself free of where his leg had been stuck. "It doesn't count, Rach."

"Yes it does!" Rachel argued. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, it'll be fixed in no time," James said. "You know I'm fine."

"You crushed your leg!"

"And with the beam off, it's healing already," James said, even as the little girl held on tighter to him. "Buzzing like crazy."

Rachel shook her head and sat down in the rubble beside him, looking like her father as she ran her hands over her face to get a hold of herself - at least until the fires subsided a little. "That's never happened before," she breathed out.

"Yeah, what kicked it off?" James asked, grimacing as he made sure his leg was straight as much as he was able with the little girl clinging to him.

"Nate's hurt," Rachel said, looking up at James with panic but not fire in her eyes.

"So go check on him," James said. "Or ask Mia or Kate to if you're afraid you'll freak out again."

"I really am," Rachel said.

"Then reach out to check and stay here with me and little Liza."

Rachel nodded, closing her eyes and trying to find the center that Betsy had shown her when they'd trained together. "Kate's babying Nate right now," she said after a long moment.

"Is that some kind of code I should be worried about?" James asked.

Rachel snorted. "No, it means she's stopping the worst bleeders and crying on him and-"

"Powdering his butt? I don't want to hear that, Rach."

She laughed again. "That's a mental image I don't need."

"You're welcome," James said, already shakily pulling himself up to test out standing, though he looked sick to his stomach as he did so, and he didn't let go of the chunk of concrete he'd used to get upright, with one arm around Liza the whole time. "I think I wrecked my uniform, sis," James whispered finally. "Jan is going to be so mad."

"No kidding," Rachel said. "Mia called for the Avengers, by the way."

"Good. That was what we said we'd do," James said. "How are the twins?"

"Tommy and Mia were with the mutants they rescued, so they're totally fine. Billy and Kate were closer to the blast, so they got a little singed and cut up, but also fine."

James nodded, testing his leg again before he took a few shaky steps from where he'd been. "Let's get Liza to her brother. Maybe we'll get lucky and find their parents."

Rachel nodded. "You lead the way. I'm just… going to keep thinking calm thoughts and make doubly sure the Phoenix is locked up where it needs to be."

"Try coming up with a good reason Dad will listen to on why I don't have my mask. That would be great."

"Blame the toddler?" Rachel asked.

"I'm not laying that on a little kid," James said as he handed Liza the remains of his cowl to play with. "Even if it's true."

"Hey, we used to do it all the time to Nate," Rachel teased as Liza tried to wear the tattered cowl.

"Because it was Nate's fault."

"At least ninety percent of the time," Rachel agreed.

James tried to readjust Liza, who let him move her a little before she latched on and snuggled in - peeking at Rachel over his shoulder. Slowly, the three of them headed to where the other mutants who had been staying at the halfway home were staying clumped up, unsure of what to do - at least until the Avengers arrived and Hank got out first, obviously concerned and headed right for Nate.

Kate was relieved to see him and waved him over with hands that were covered in red. "I think I stopped the worst bleeding," she said in a tight voice.

"You did well," Hank said as he started working - much quicker and more efficiently than they'd realized he could. "If it makes you feel any better, cuts on the head always bleed much worse than they need to."

"That… that does, actually make me feel better," Kate breathed out. "It got pretty close to his eye…"

"He'll likely end up with a scar," Hank said.

"That's okay," Kate said. "He can rock a rugged look I can tease him about."

Hank smiled, but as soon as Nate was patched up, he picked him up to get him off the scene. "Who else was injured?"

"James got busted up, but he says he's fine - if you believe that," Mia said. "We're all okay, really. They were just super unlucky."

"I think you mean super lucky," Hank said. "Having a building come down on you could have killed every one of you in a blink."

The kids all paused when they heard it, the weight of it hanging over their heads - and reminding them of what their parents had been saying - before Tommy spoke up. "Yeah, well, it could have killed all these people who were just trying to live too. So… all's well that ends well, right?"

"Not exactly," Steve said as he joined the group, looking each one of them over carefully. "We're securing the scene. SHIELD will be investigating this, so I'm sorry, but you're going to need to stick around a little longer."

"Seriously?" Tommy asked.

"Not like James can go anywhere anyway," Mia pointed out with a giggle, gesturing to where James had both Ollie and Liza climbing on him and snuggling him hard with Billy close by - and highly entertained by the kids using his boyfriend as both teddy bear and jungle gym.

"Yes, really," Steve said. "They attacked a civilian building full of innocent people. Not all of which were mutants, either, by the way. We've been pushing. I thought that was clear. And since it was an official organization working outside of their given parameters … there are big consequences."

"Mess with the bull, get the horns, and all that," Tommy said.

"You all need to give statements," Steve said. "So keep your masks on and be patient."

"Oh yeah. We're really good at that," Mia said, smirking Tommy's way.

"You'll live," Steve said with a sigh, and not long after Hank and Nate headed off for better medical, the SHIELD agents arrived and started separating the kids to find out what happened. Just before the public and the press started to come out snapping pictures of the young heroes at work.

While some of the agents interviewed the young X-Men, others were working hard to get the kids paired back up with their guardians and others still were trying to stop bystanders from recording the young heroes. It didn't take long before the civilians were all being directed to somewhere safe to stay - though it took some serious convincing to get James' hangers-on to trust the agents enough to go with them and eventually James carried the kids rather than hand them over as he followed the agents to find their mother.

Finally, all that was left was the X-Men and Avengers, and the kids tried to look more composed than they felt as they boarded the Quinjet so they could catch up with Nate and Hank.

And somehow, the kids weren't surprised that, when they did get there, Scott was already there too - to make sure Nate wasn't too badly hurt. He looked shaken, but seeing Rachel and James seemed to bolster him, and he crossed the space in a few long strides to grab them both in a hug.

"We're fine, Dad," Rachel said, though she held on tightly. "How's Nate doing?"

"He's stable, and Hank says he'll be on his feet in no time," Scott said, sounding relieved. "It looked worse than it was." He stopped and cupped her cheek. "I saw what happened."

"We had gotten almost everyone out," Rachel said. "Nate went back in to help James."

Scott nodded. "Are you alright?" he asked. "I saw that too."

"I am now," Rachel said. "I think. I was scared for Nate."

"You kept a lid on it," Scott said. "I'm proud of you, Rachel."

"The teasing helped," Rachel admitted with a laugh.

Scott smiled and looked toward James. "That sounds right. Jean always did better with positivity."

"Wasn't teasing," James said. "I insinuated that I could go for a roasted marshmallow."

Scott chuckled. "That would be one burnt marshmallow."

"Got her to relax," James said. "Worth it."

"And what about you?" Scott asked, looking him over.

"I'm fine," James said. "Just tired. And starving. As you do."

Scott smirked. "Healing takes it out of you," he agreed. "We'll get you something high-protein. That helps."

"O-kay," James said slowly. "Are you alright? You seem amazingly okay right now and it's kind of freaking me out."

"You missed my entrance," Scott said dryly.

"Well yeah, I had a couple kids hanging off me."

"Yes," Hank said in a low whisper James' way, "and you missed the sedative I gave him. You must still have blood in your nose."

"Ah," James said quietly, matching Hank's tone and volume as he reached up to scrub his nose with the back of his hand. He'd thought he had done a good job of wiping off all the blood when he was holding on to the little girl. "Yeah. I do."

"It seemed necessary to prevent him having a medical episode himself," Hank said, and James reached out to rest a hand on Hank's shoulder before he stepped closer and lowered his voice.

"I think, before Dad burns that out of his system and before we go, if you could be real quiet about checking an x-ray or two for me, that might be good. To make sure everything is where it should be, especially since it doesn't feel … right."

"You were hurt more than you're admitting to. I am utterly un-shocked," Hank said as he nodded. "Scott, do you mind if I look over both of your other children?" he asked. "Just to be safe."

Scott let out a breath and nodded, sitting down by Nate. "Alright."

"Can you put that in his coffee?" James asked when they were in the lab, well away from Scott.

Hank chuckled. "It's not something I would like to do regularly, but he was in such disarray over Nate's injuries and Rachel's fire that I felt I had a duty to protect him."

"I'm glad you did," James said, then was quiet for a moment. "Does that mean I'm off the hook for losing the cowl?"

"I wouldn't bet on it," Hank said, raising an eyebrow James way. He let out a sigh. "Anyone who was on a team with Logan knew instantly why you did it, though," he admitted. "There were so many missions in which Logan or K would find the smallest people in danger. Logan rarely kept the cowl on if he thought it would scare them."

"There's good reason for that," James said.

"My advice would be not to bring it up," Hank told him frankly.

"Yeah, not gonna happen," James agreed. "But … okay. So. I had a beam fall on me and I broke a few things. They're healed … I just want to make sure it's okay. I got pretty sick when I stood up."

"Say no more," Hank said, already directing James to the X-Ray machine. "Let's take a look. Just tell me everything that was broken."

"Okay, but I'd rather you didn't have to re-break anything," James said.

"If I do," Hank said, "I will give you a collar and put you to sleep first. No reason to do that to you consciously."

"Thanks, I think," James said, relaxing a little as he leaned back and directed Hank on what he knew had broken.

Hank let out a breath when he saw the results and then gently handed James a collar. "When you wake up again, you'll be good as new," he promised.

James frowned but nodded, though considering everything he knew, he couldn't in good conscience ignore one important point. "You'll make sure Dad doesn't see in here, right? I don't want him seeing me in a collar."

Hank paused and his lips parted when he realized that James had to know the full story of his father if he was having concerns like that. "Absolutely," Hank promised gently. "He'll likely be asleep before we can get started anyhow."

James nodded again. "Okay. Yeah. That works." He blew out a breath and put the collar on with a click before he leaned back. A moment later, Hank took a hold of his arm gently and put in an IV and administered the proper medications.

It didn't take long once the shot kicked in for James to pass out so Hank could get to work. Which left only Rachel awake out of Scott's three kids.


	49. A Price To Heroics

Billy stayed at the tower with the rest of his team until Hank was done re-breaking and setting James' bones that had healed improperly. He waited, trying not to draw too much attention to himself - or to James as he watched an obviously high Scott get protectively affectionate with Rachel to the point that Billy was wondering if he was going to be _alright_.

But he didn't get to stick around and wait for James to wake up - not when Erik was blowing up his phone expecting a call.

Tommy and Mia had already zipped off, so instead of drawing down fire at the school, Billy cast a spell to bring himself _and_ Erik to a tiny island that they'd designated as a safe place for the two of them to chat. But Erik didn't look pleased to have been zapped to this little private hideaway.

"You could have been _killed_ ," Erik half-shouted once he'd gotten his bearings. "Where is your brother?"

"Hold on," Billy said, holding one finger up as he waited for Tommy to reply to his text … and moments later, the wind nearly knocked Billy off his feet when Tommy skidded to a stop next to him.

"What did I miss?"

Erik looked angrier as he looked between the two boys. "You both should be coming back to Genosha with me _right now_. Do you have _any idea_ what would have happened to you if those neanderthals had captured you? Do you know what they would have _done_?"

"Grandfather, they never got the ch-"

"You would have ended up _enslaved_ or _dead_ just like the _fools_ who wore that badge to begin with!" Erik bellowed, rising up off the ground. He hadn't _meant_ to float up, but it just … happened sometimes when he was that angry.

The twins shared a look, and _calmly_ Billy put his hands to his sides and floated up so he could see eye to eye with him. "They weren't trying to take _us_. And I have absolute faith that you or Mother would undo whatever damage they might try."

Erik deflated slightly, but it only served to illustrate to him how much the boys had relied on him if they were counting on Erik coming in to help even while they were _defying him_. "True as that may be, we won't always be there for you. If something were to happen to either of us - or if Genosha was under attack while you were being treated like an animal, what then? You need to be able to see when to attack _preemptively._ "

But Billy held his gaze steadily. "We were saving _innocent mutants_. I thought that was the whole point of what we're doing."

"It doesn't change the fact that both of you should be in Genosha."

"We're in _school_ ," Tommy said thickly. "We're getting an _ed-u-caaaaa-tion_. Mom said. So … _bye_." With that, he zipped off, spraying both Billy and Erik down with sea water as he did so.

"You must be more careful," Erik said when once again it was just the two of them - and for the first time _ever_ , he knew he didn't have an upper hand or a sneaky play to pull. Yet.

"I _am_ , Grandfather," Billy swore, one hand over his heart. "But I am also enjoying being at school and seeing this country. We will finish school in Westchester. And not just this year."

"Then I'll see you again when the school year is over. There is no reason for you to stay and neglect your _family_ over the summer."

Billy paused, since … he honestly hadn't considered how he was going to approach summer. Originally he _was_ going to come back for the summer but now … "I love you too," Billy said finally, deciding to try and end it on a high note - and it did get the relieved sort of warm smile from Erik he'd been hoping for. "But I should get back. Tommy and Mia went back to the school already - and James will be waking up soon from surgery."

"Give the Summers family my regards," Erik said, then paused himself. "You were all very lucky to walk out of that building with no fatalities. Even your James could have been crushed to death."

Which, of course, had hit a little too close to what had happened. "We know we were lucky," Billy agreed rather than fight with him on it. "Please let Mom and Dad know we're okay and that I'll call her when I get back to the school."

With a quick hug, Billy stepped back and his eyes glowed once again as he worked the spell to send them both back. When he appeared in the recovery room where Hank was waiting for James to wake up before he pulled the collar, he let out a breath of relief before he pulled up a chair to wait it out.

He knew that the mission had been dangerous - after the fact - but it was the most fun he'd had since Genosha. He didn't know what had changed after he'd brought James and his family there for break, but James had been incredibly quiet since then. He was almost back to himself when they were playing with Ollie and Liza. And he _enjoyed_ watching James interact with the kids. If it wasn't for the fact that he knew James was in pain at the time, he was pretty sure that James was back to himself.

Maybe he just needed a mission to run - or kids to play with. One or the other. Either way, it was a good look on him.

Billy was lost in thought when the monitors started to change their rhythm as James began to wake up. But he didn't hit the call button to bring Hank in. Not when he had a shot to see his boyfriend doped up on painkillers. "Hey there, Sleeping Beauty," Billy teased as James turned his way.

"Little Prince Charming," James half slurred out. "Where's my kiss? Not allowed to wake up until I get a kiss."

"Not quite how it works," Billy laughed, though he did come over to steal a kiss before James lost the collar and burned out the drugs.

"Sure it is," James countered with a sloppy, crooked smile. "Worked, didn't it?"

"I'd still prefer you didn't make a habit of this. I know Dr. Beast felt awful about having to break your bones again."

"S'okay. I'll heal," James said. "That's what I do, you know. That's all I do."

"Modest when you're high, too. Interesting." Billy said just before Hank came into the room to check things over. It wasn't any time at all though before James burned out the drugs once the collar was off.

But he smiled at Billy as soon as Hank left them alone for a moment. "You were _worried_ ," he said.

"I wasn't," Billy said. "Not really. I know you're fine. But I didn't want you to wake up alone."

"Yeah sure, love you too," James said, still smiling.

For an instant, Billy was clearly taken off guard, but he couldn't hide the growing grin as he leaned forward and kissed the sense out of James. "And I love _you_ \- but you beat me to it."

"I had to. You were taking _forever_ ," James said, though he didn't look like he was in a rush to move with Billy staying close.

"You _did_ pick the slow twin," Billy teased, perfectly pleased when James moved over and waved Billy over to join him.

"Lucky me," James teased as the two of them got situated - even if it wasn't strictly necessary for James to _stay_ in the medical wing. The rest of his family was preoccupied anyhow. They wouldn't miss him for at _least_ a few hours.

He just hadn't expected it when Tony arranged for food to be brought in for _both_ of them with a note that promised a long talk once Scott allowed him back to the tower.

* * *

For the weeks that followed the incident that kept the X-Men in the news for a whole _slew_ of reasons, Scott became almost militant about James' schedule because he had, in fact, not been pleased about James being outed so early in the game.

And as part of that, he kept a much more watchful eye on the neighborhood, though he was surprised when the only change in patterns was the slight uptick in people walking past. All of them were neighbors, but none of them stared or stopped ... even if it was clear to Scott that they were milling around trying to catch James and likely Nate, too.

Toby had been pressing to have a chat with Scott, but he simply couldn't let his guard down enough to allow it to happen. And though he didn't know it, James had put himself in a bit of isolation as well - promising the rabbi that he'd catch up with him as soon as he was un-grounded, even using tutoring his brother as an excuse as to why he was unavailable.

But, as Hank had promised, Nate was back on his feet soon enough. He had plenty of makeup work to do at school in spite of the help James had offered. Scott had sent out an email to all of Nate's teachers explaining that he'd been in an accident with some friends, and they were all sympathetic and more than willing to give Nate time to catch up, even with as close to coming off of spring break as it was.

In fact, Scott was surprised by the personal response from Nate's history teacher in particular:

_Mr. Mueller,_

_Thank you for reaching out. I was worried when I didn't see Nate in class, and I hope you know that your family has my prayers and support. I hope he and his friends recover quickly._

_I wanted to reassure you as well that missing this time won't affect his grade too badly. He's been pulling his grades up quickly, and you'll be happy to know that if he keeps at it, he might even be able to manage a B in my class._

_Please let me know if there is anything I can do._

_-Annie Hale_

Scott raised his eyebrows as he read over the email. As much as he hated to admit it, he was starting to see why Nate had tried to set him up with this teacher. Aside from being _pretty_ and smart, if this was the kind of attention she gave her students…

He shook his head to himself. He really wasn't ready for that - not when he was waiting for a call from Kitty concerning the latest intel on Magneto's strongholds on Genosha, and certainly not when his kids were X-Men and were growing into _risks_ that still took his breath away from the outside. He knew his team at that age had taken much bigger risks, but it was different when he felt as though his hands were tied.

He was honestly trying to come to terms with that. He knew the kids had their hearts in the right place, and there was a part of him that knew they were right. The world _did_ need the X-Men.

He just hated that the world needed _his_ kids.

In any case, _Scott_ needed to focus. His initial plan to go to Genosha and simply _deal_ with Magneto wasn't going to cut it when he had seen the look on James' face that morning in Genosha. He needed something solid, something with an exit plan.

It was still risky. It was. And he was making arrangements just in case - a pair of letters to Nate and Rachel that told them the story he'd already told James. He had instructions for who would take guardianship of the boys until they were grown with Tony Stark at the forefront of James' care so long as Natasha supervised and Warren and Betsy listed for Nate since he knew Warren would know how to deal with Nate and they wouldn't keep the kids apart anyhow. He also had written out an apology and explanation for everything he could think of - and every piece of advice he could think to write down from his days as an X-Man. Just in case.

Scott let out a sigh and sent off a quick thank you to Ms. Hale before he turned back to his plans. Alex's birthday was coming up, and that would be a good excuse to go to Genosha…..


	50. Public Opinion

"Are you sure you're ready to head back to school already?" James asked Nate as the two of them headed down the street together to get a bagel and some coffee. Nate's healing had been moving along at a good speed, but James was pretty sure that his little brother was pushing himself a little too much, too soon.

"I'm going crazy sitting at home," Nate said. "And I really will be in big trouble if I don't get my history grade up enough for Dad to not have a stroke."

"Which is why we're taking your 'study break'," James said, complete with air quotes. "Remind me again why we couldn't get it delivered?"

"Because you need to leave the _house_ for things not related to work and missions?" Nate said slowly. "I've been hearing complaints through Kate about the lackluster effort in _your_ dating life and I can't even begin to tell you how much I do not want to hear about that - at all. Especially when I'm trying to have my _own_ date nights? So … if you want to drop him, just drop him."

James stopped entirely as he turned toward his brother. "Are you nuts?"

"No, but I'm not afraid of Magneto either," Nate teased. "So, that could be part of it."

James gave him a dry look, let out a rumbling sort of low growl, then started walking again. "I'm not afraid of Magneto. Thanks. In fact, I'll thank you to keep him out of the same breath when you're talking about my love life, too. Unless you want me recruiting Clint to be _worse_ when it comes to _his_ descriptions and 'help' that he loves to give." He gestured widely. "Maybe it's time that Uncle _Barney_ was tracked down to make an appearance and play overprotective guardian of virtue."

"I'm not the one suddenly dropping the ball," Nate pointed out. "So what's the problem? _Show me_ if it's easier than talking."

"No," James said, shaking his head already and thinking of the many things he didn't want Nate to see … the thinly veiled threats in Magneto's research labs, the not at all veiled threats he'd made at Stark Tower, the challenge over dinner with Billy's family that Scott and Rachel hadn't seen … and the chess game and all that went with it … along with a dozen or more _minor_ interactions over the course of the week that none of his family had been witness to. "You don't need to see any of that, really."

"How much _was_ there?" Nate asked quietly as they stepped into the neighborhood cafe that the boys preferred.

"Let it go, Nate," James warned as he stepped into line and shoved his hands deeply in his pockets. He was scowling and frowning at nothing in particular, but Nate recognized the expression as one that told him he'd hit close on something - and if he was to connect the dots with his big brother, it was probably to do with Magneto more than anything.

Which would explain why James was distracted enough to miss the fact that three different tables of neighbors were smiling brightly at him. And not in the usual 'oh, look at the nice Mueller boys', but something a little … more. As James quietly waited, Nate reached out to brush the minds of those around them, and was utterly un-surprised when he found that pretty much everyone in the shop with a few minor exceptions knew _exactly_ who his big brother was after he'd been busted out on camera… and they approved.

The accidental unmasking apparently wasn't _all_ bad. Not if what he was hearing from their neighbors was any indicator. Nate smiled to himself as he started focusing a little more - to hear their individual impressions. From what he could sift through, it was pretty clear that his big brother had a following - not that Nate didn't know that. He and Kate had been tipped off to a X-Men _fan forum_ that had been active nearly as long as they'd been on the scene … and though each and every team member had their own sections dedicated to those that were following them, James' had blown up since their last big mission … because _now_ his face was publicly known. And that meant plenty of admirers in the city had been keeping their eyes open for him.

Of course, that meant speculation on Nate, too - and though so far, the speculation had been incredibly off base, people were trying to figure out who the rest of the team was underneath the masks.

It was a security issue … most of the time. And it wasn't lost on Nate that a whole internet full of people making posts on where his big brother had been seen was potentially _a very bad thing_. Right now, though? It was _entertainment._ Especially knowing that James _hated_ being the center of attention. Which was _so_ unfortunate for him when so many teenage and college age girls in the shop were admiring from afar and _intimidated_ to approach the young Wolverine.

" _Nate_ ," James said, frowning at him, which made it clear to Nate that he'd missed the first two times James had said his name. "I know you're lost in your head, but come on. Do you want your usual?"

"Yes. Please. I'll find a table," Nate said, grinning wider at him for just long enough to James to really become convinced that Nate had lost it. A moment later, Nate turned away from his brother and looked around the cafe until he found a spot with a few hopeful looking young ladies who were projecting out how much they wanted the two of them to sit near them.

And who was he to argue with the masses of admirers? He took his phone out as he made his way over to the table nearest the two young women, though he had a hard time deciding which seat to take, ultimately opting to _let_ his clueless brother sit nearest the girls. He was chuckling to himself as he texted Kate to let her know where they were - _if_ she wanted to join them. But the show had already started.

James had made their order like he always did and pulled his wallet out to pay when the guy behind the counter grinned widely at him and told him it was covered. James paused, frowning before he slowly took a fifty out and put it in the tip jar then turned toward Nate, telegraphing clearly 'what is even happening?'

Which was about the very funniest expression he could have been wearing. So Nate was understandably entertained. "What's wrong?" Nate asked, grinning because he couldn't hide his amusement; this reaction was _so_ different from what he was used to seeing from James when someone would flirt with him. Clearly, his brother had a lot on his mind.

"Nothing, I guess," James replied as he took a seat and the two of them waited for their order to come to the table. He settled in, more or less clueless at the broad grins the young ladies behind him were wearing. Grins that only got wider when he took his jacket off and set it on the chair next to him. Nate covered his _glee_ by subtly snapping a few pictures of James minding his own business while the girls carried on. "What is _wrong_ with you?" James asked - his tone and expression perfectly flat.

"Nothing. It's just a _beautiful_ morning."

James frowned and narrowed his eyes at Nate's phone. "How long before Kate gets here?"

"Any time, I'm sure," Nate said, still smiling as the barista came over with their order, though at least he was more interesting than the girls at the table next to him. Nate smiled at the guy and thanked him, but he barely looked Nate's way. And still, James seemed to be willfully ignoring the people around him … at least until he saw the phone number and the note under the sleeve of his latte.

He took the note out from under the sleeve and frowned as he opened it. "What …"

Nate grinned wider. "If you were more _open_ …"

James glanced up at him, considered letting his brother in, then quickly shook his head. "Just tell me."

"You were on live TV, oh, brother mine," Nate said quietly as the girls giggled behind James. "They _like_ you. And the ones behind you want to see you in the stripes."

James straightened up slightly as he gave his brother a look of pure disbelief. "We should go," James said.

"Don't think it would help much," Nate replied, still smiling. "Kinda the same gist of what I was hearing on the street too. Just wait until the pictures start showing up on social media."

"I'm gonna need an inducer."

"Oh, come on," Nate said, laughing to himself. "I'm teasing." He raised his voice. "I'm sure most people know not to say _where_ you are, or when."

As James gave him a dry look, the girls behind him caught Nate's attention with a double thumbs up and wide grins.

And then Kate caught up to them. She was quick to make her order at the counter and slid into the seat nearest Nate - pointedly shifting her seat _even closer_ to Nate to make it clear who she was with so as not to disturb their fellow cafe patrons.

"Hi, Katie," James said, smiling tightly. "What are you doing now?"

"Just had to see my favorite guy," Kate said with a grin as she snuggled up with Nate. "And wanted to _bask_ in how much you're appreciating the _fan club_."

"The barista gave him a phone number," Nate whispered into her hair before he kissed the side of her head.

"The cute redhead?"

"No," Nate said, smiling wider. "The blond."

Kate whipped around then grinned wider when she saw the cute boy behind the counter that was trying not to watch them outright. "Oh. Billy won't like that _at all_."

"I didn't do anything," James defended lightly. "All _I_ did was order coffee."

"Yep, and then the guy refused to take his money," Nate said, smiling obnoxiously.

"You make it sound way worse than it was," James said, staring at his brother with an unspeakably dry expression on his features.

"Are you trying to say that he didn't totally want to shove his tongue down your throat?" Nate challenged - and it was shocking enough for Nate to approach the subject _like that_ that James found himself staring at his little brother for a full beat. "I'll bet Billy would want to know about _him_."

"And I'm very sure it won't make a bit of difference," James said. "Because for it to make _any difference,_ I'd have to be flirting with him, too. And I'm not. So stop trying to cause trouble."

"Is he the jealous type?" Nate asked with a broad grin, though James rolled his eyes.

"It's a non-issue, you moron," James said, then reached under the table to kick the leg of Nate's chair enough to jostle him.

"I know, I know," Nate laughed. "You two are usually so _sickeningly sweet_ together. I was just trying to find out what changed."

"Nothing," James answered, frowning deeper at Nate as if he'd lost his mind.

"Okay but … that's not really the way it sounds when Billy's _projecting_ how concerned he is about how quiet you are," Nate said.

James let out a long, weary kind of sigh as he rubbed his hands over his face, only to stop with one hand covering his eyes. "You're giving me a headache," he said finally. "Either you're amused with people ogling me or you're worried about how things are between me and my boyfriend. Pick. One." When he moved his hand from his eyes, he fixed Nate with a look and picked up his jacket, then took his coffee in one hand and the note in the other. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to let this guy down easy."

"Oh, come on," Nate said with a smile, though his tone was down as James stood up and headed toward the now-empty counter, where the blond was smiling wider as James came up to talk to him.

Kate smiled as she leaned into Nate; he really was more fun to be around in a mood like this. But still, she couldn't help but try to ease his mind. She kept their conversation in whispers so they wouldn't be overheard as she said, "The Billy thing is a non-issue, by the way."

Nate was still too entertained to realize she was talking to him for a few seconds before he turned her way and kissed her forehead. "What, the jealousy or the everything else?"

"It's just not even a _thing_ for drama, unless you count the fact that they're probably gonna end up getting married as drama."

Nate's expression shifted entirely, and he couldn't help but peek into Kate's mind, surprised to find that she was _serious_. "Wait, what?"

Kate smiled crookedly. "I know you can't peek in on him like you can with me unless he lets you, but can you really not see it?" she asked. "I've double dated with James or been at the tower for almost all of the girls he _ever_ dated, and I've _never_ seen him like this. He's _smiling_ more when Billy's around, and it's like he forgets to have the world on his shoulders after five minutes with him."

Nate had his full attention on Kate by that point. "Kate, he was happy with the others, too. Especially May. Come on. _Mayday?_ "

"Not like this." When Nate still looked like he didn't quite get it, she sighed. "Okay, fine. _Don't_ believe the Hawkeye who has been trained by her mom since she was _little_ how to read body language and pick out intentions from them."

"Kate…"

"I'm just saying: telepaths should be forced to take body language classes or something. You're _terrible_ at this."

Nate shook his head and then kissed her, mostly because she looked so pleased with herself and he couldn't stand the idea of letting her think she was ahead of him. At anything. _I still think you're exaggerating._

_I could project to you the total melt that Billy did when he saw James with those kids. That boy saw James with a couple of kids and you could actually see the moment he decided he wanted that future._

_That's Billy, though._

_James looks at Billy like he can't believe he's lucky enough to have him._

_Doesn't count. James has low self-esteem._

Kate rolled her eyes and hit Nate with the back of her hand. "Okay, fine. _Look_ if you need to see what I've seen. But I'm telling you: your brother has it _bad_."

And just because Nate honestly thought Kate was seeing things that weren't there, he _did_ , in fact, peek into her mind - and was taken aback by all the _little_ things she'd seen. The subtle smiles, the quiet flirting, the way James always seemed that little bit more relaxed when Billy came to visit.

 _Well?_ Kate said when she knew Nate was done.

_Okay, so you've seen a couple things I might have overlooked._

_Is that your way of admitting I'm right without admitting you didn't see it?_

_Always gotta be right, huh?_

_Um. Yes. Have you met me?_

_If I say no, will we have to get reacquainted?_ Nate asked, grinning crookedly.

Kate rolled her eyes at him but kissed him anyway. _One-track mind, Summers._

_Like you aren't right there with me._

_Your brother is coming back from talking to the barista._

_He knows we're in each other's heads all the time,_ Nate pointed out, already moving into a psychic makeout session with her. James was uncomfortable enough that they were going to be headed home soon anyway, and he wanted to move on to better things than having to leave the fan club-filled cafe.

"That didn't take long," James said, shaking his head at how quickly Nate had gone from teasing him to getting lost in Kate.

"Nope," Kate said happily, giggling as Nate slid his arms tighter around her.

"You should find yours and do the same," Nate said, resting his chin on Kate's shoulder.

"In person," Kate teased, though James shook his head at her.

And that had Nate pinching her and projecting, _You're getting dangerously close to revealing my powers._

_Does that mean I'd have to pretend to be jealous of the groupies you'd immediately get? You already have some from sheer proximity to your brother._

_Maybe you_ should _be jealous._

_Puh-lease. I'm a million times sexier._

_A million?_

_Doubt me again and there will be no sex of any kind for you. Including telepathic._

_Now there's a threat._

_And not an empty one, either,_ Kate promised and then smiled at James. "Don't worry. He's been informed that he's getting _nowhere_ if he doesn't stop being _weird_."

"I couldn't care less about where he's getting or not getting," James replied. "And if you wait for him to stop being weird, you'd be better off just moving on right now."

"Hurtful," Nate breathed out dramatically, one hand over his heart.

"Just can't take the truth," James said, then blew out a breath. "I'm headed back. You two … enjoy your date."

"What? You're _not_ going to go meet up with Billy?" Kate asked, scrunching up her nose. "Because you should. He could use the pick me up."

"He's studying for three big tests," James said. "And he already said he doesn't want my help - which I think means he actually _wants_ to study."

"So, what? You can't keep on track?" Kate teased.

"No, I can keep on task fine," James said. "He gets bored of the subject too fast when I help."

"Which classes?" Nate asked.

"Blue's Physics, Angel's Human Relations, and Jono's Calculus class." James shrugged one shoulder up. "He's probably with his dad, to be honest, so I'm not going to bother him."

 _See?_ Nate projected to Kate. _Low self esteem._ "Pretty sure he wouldn't think you were bothering him."

James tipped his chin up and turned to leave the two of them alone. "I was checking up on _you_ to make sure you were alright. But now that I see you're in semi-responsible hands, I'm gonna go. Try not to get in the kind of trouble that needs a shotgun wedding solution." He winked at Kate, then left the two of them behind. Especially since Kate would be the one watching over Nate at school anyhow.

And besides, it was almost time for him to go talk to Toby. He'd skipped the last few weeks solely because he'd been paranoid and worried about Nate's health. Nate had gotten a small concussion when he'd gotten hit by a falling _wall_ \- a point that still had James shaking his head. His brother shouldn't _ever_ get hurt. Especially not head wounds. They'd heard the trouble their dad had when it came to head wounds when he was a kid - there was no telling what could happen if a telepath suddenly lost the ability to control their powers. Not to mention that had been too close to Nate being severely injured or killed for James to _not_ stress over.

When he got to the rabbi's office, he knocked on the door and quietly took a seat after talking to the rabbi's wife for a moment. She was smiling warmly at him the whole time, and James found himself staring at his hands.

"Ah, there you are," Rabbi Cohen said when he opened the door to his office, already waving him forward. "I was starting to wonder if you were too _famous_ to continue our chats."

James let out a nervous breath of a laugh. "Yeah, that's what it is, alright." But that only had Toby chuckling to himself as James stepped into his office.

"I really am glad you came to see me," Toby said. "I've been a little worried about you and your siblings since the unmasking."

James sighed heavily as he sat down. "Yeah …"

"Do you want to tell my why, after everything your father did to keep you safe all these years, you took that mask off?" Toby held up both hands. "I'm not criticizing. I'm just asking why."

"That little boy was terrified of us," James said. "I couldn't get him to safety without getting him to trust me, and that wasn't going to happen with the mask on."

"Okay, that works to get him to go to you, but once he knew you weren't someone scary, why didn't you put it back on?" Toby was watching him with an open expression. "Once he saw your face, he knew you were a person. You could have put the mask back on."

For a long moment, James simply blinked back at Toby, at a total loss - and openly so. He could be glib about it and point out that there was another little kid, but the question was still pertinent. If Oliver could have coped, there was no reason his little sister couldn't have too. "It … never occured to me. I was focused on the kids, not hiding who I was, I guess."

"I'd say that's a good guess," Toby agreed. "But why is it, that after being raised with a deep sense of caution you did what you did for those kids?"

"Terminal genetic defect?" James joked dryly. "That's what it sounds like if I go by what everyone has said after the fact."

Toby smiled, but didn't laugh. "I would like to think that you didn't _slip_ because of a self destructive impulse."

James quickly shook his head. "No, that's not what happened at all." Toby raised his eyebrows, waiting for James to defend his position. "I was trying to help. And I couldn't do that with a mask. I shouldn't _have_ to hide when I'm helping. Not from kids." He opened his mouth, his lip curled almost into a snarl, but then he stopped himself from continuing. "Dad wasn't even that mad. Sure, he was mad, but he understood. It's fine."

"So this lockdown you've been under is self imposed?"

"Some of it," James said.

"How are you handling the extra attention?"

James nearly did a double take. "... what?"

"You can't tell me you haven't noticed that there have been more people being friendly around the neighborhood," Toby said. "I know you're more observant than that."

James smiled wryly. "I was taught that any attention is a problem." He held up his hands. "Not Dad's fault. A lot of that was Aunt Tasha, Tony, Steve …"

"Before you go too far listing off Avengers, just tell me you can _see_ how many people there are that care about you," Toby said, smiling more warmly than before.

"I am trying to keep that in mind, yes," James agreed, though he stopped short of totally agreeing with him.

"I know you can't read minds like your siblings, and that you can't tell someone's intentions with your abilities-"

"You'd be surprised," James said, cutting him off, though that had Toby smiling to himself.

"Then I invite you to do a mental count of those intentions the next time you're in a crowd in our neighborhood." James considered him and then gently nodded in agreement. "So, knowing you don't talk about yourself too well - how did things go for your _teammates_ , without naming any names?"

"Who do you want to know about?"

"Why don't you start with Cable and Prestige?"

James' shoulders dropped. "I talked her down, she was okay. But _he_ never should have been … that was too close."

"Remind me again of who was injured and how badly."

"Just about everyone got a few bumps and bruises, that's par for the course. But he took part of a wall to his head," James said flatly. He ran his hand through his hair with a frown. "I've been working on something for Tony for so long, I didn't even _think_ to worry about my team …"

"Were you hurt?" Toby asked. "Because it looked pretty bad. You had some suspicious missing pieces to your uniform, and there looked to be a lot of blood as well."

James blinked at him, then closed his eyes as he shook his head. "That doesn't really matter. I'm fine. I walked out with no trouble. Doesn't matter."

"You're wrong," Toby said. "How would you have felt if _Cable_ had been in your shoes?" James paled and blew out a breath as Toby watched him. "That doesn't look like nothing."

"It's a sliding scale."

"Would he be here today if he'd been in your place?"

"Probably," James said. "Wouldn't do his football career any good though."

"James."

"I didn't get hurt trying to save _him_ ," James said. "I was caught up in the building when it came down with a little kid. It doesn't matter how I got hurt anyhow when I healed before someone could point it out."

"At the risk of opening a sore spot, I can't help but wonder if your parents would have done the same."

"If I go by what the Avengers, X-Men, and my Dad have to say - they absolutely would have." James held his gaze steadily. "So by that right, I'm keeping with the family tradition."

"And that's okay now?"

James considered it for a long moment, careful as always with his words when it mattered. "Yes. I think I'd be doing my parents and my dad a disservice if I didn't."

"And how is your dad handling this new outlook?"

"It changes from day to day," James said. "Today he was alright. He didn't mind when I took Nate to the cafe for a break."

"How much longer is he going to be out?" Toby asked, trying to figure out how badly Nate had been hurt.

"He's going back to school tomorrow," James admitted. "I wanted to see how he was, my mistake. He's _fine_."

Toby chuckled to himself. "Any reason you feel that way?"

'Before he had Kate crash the coffee shop for him, he was apparently amusing himself with people who recognized me," James admitted, though he didn't look amused in the least.

"So going back to the beginning of our session - you're _not_ handling the extra attention well."

"I really hate when you do that," James said, then sighed heavily. "If I'm being honest, I think I'm suspicious of any of the extra attention because of what I was taught growing up. Okay, I'm anxious more often than not."

"Then we should discuss what you need to do to cope with that. How's Billy doing?"

"This weekend? Trying to study, mostly. But he's fine."

"The two of you aren't … there's no trouble there, is there? Because I can think of a dozen young people that would step in if you two weren't-"

"There's nothing wrong with Billy and I," James said, cutting across him just because it irritated him to hear it - especially twice in one morning. "But we're still teenagers. And he has school that he needs to do well in - and I have _work_ to get done."

"Was any of that an obstacle before?"

"No, but neither was the fact that people recognized me," James pointed out. "And yes, okay? I'm being a little careful to make sure I don't draw down any more trouble for one of Genosha's princes."

"Ah. So this isn't wariness, it's more protectiveness. I really do think you're not going to have half the trouble you think is waiting for you."

"Alright. You think that and you can just be wrong. It's fine. I'm used to watching people be wrong all the time."

Toby couldn't help but shake his head at that. "Your dad's been very busy lately. Do you think you can tell him I'm still waiting to see him?"

"I can, and like I said before, if he wants to talk, he will. I can't _make him_ do anything. That's like trying to stop the tides."

"And that's not in your powerset."

"If it was, I still wouldn't."

"Because you're a good kid," Toby said, smiling once again. "We have more to talk about, but I don't want to push today. It really was nice to see you for a moment, James. Please, don't be a stranger."

"I won't," James agreed, then got to his feet to head back to the house, sure that by _now_ if Nate and Kate hadn't found a place to curl up together, they'd be back home. If they were _smart_ , that's where they'd be, anyhow. He made his way to the crosswalk, and waited with the handful of people there, debating on if he should pick something up for Scott on the way back or not when he saw a young lady smiling broadly at him. He tried to ignore her for a moment, but when she took half a step closer, he turned her way to give her a curt nod. The decision was made for him. He was headed home - but not directly there. He'd go around the block and slip in through the alley instead of head-on. Maybe that would ease things a little bit for a little while longer.


	51. Meanwhile, Back On The Island

Alex had always had an uneasy truce with his father-in-law, and he knew it. The fact that Lorna was his favorite seemed to outdo the lingering hard feelings that might have made things harder because of his past on the X-Men and his family ties, but lately, Alex wasn't sure even Lorna was enough to shield him from Erik's wrath, considering the glare Erik had on lately.

But a temperamental father-in-law would have been easy enough to deal with. The _real_ worry was the way Erik was starting to get paranoid about the family he had remaining on the island. The _real_ worry was the fact that Alex had caught Erik sending his minions to follow his and Lorna's kids even in the palace. The _real_ worry was the fact that Chris had come home one night and asked why his grandfather had warned him against taking after his uncle.

Erik had always been controlling. But this? This was getting out of hand. The only problem, of course was that Alex didn't want to call in the cavalry if it wasn't _necessary_. And putting his human father in the line of fire where _Magneto_ was concerned had to be a pressing affair.

Alex turned the small device over in his hands a few times before he decided he'd use the non-emergency setting _first_. That way, if Erik's tech picked up that he was reaching out, it would look like it was simply a social call … and since his birthday was coming up, it could certainly pass for that.

He couldn't help but smile though when it took a moment for Corsair to pick up - and he was even more amused to find that his now silver-haired father was still snickering and entirely too-wrapped up in his skunk-cat alien girlfriend. "Alex, my boy!" Corsair said, once he focused enough to see who it was that had come up. "What's on your mind, son?"

Alex's smile retreated just to the more polite setting that he found himself using with Corsair more and more as the years went on. "Just checking in, really," Alex said. "Lorna and I were talking about making my birthday into a family affair this year, so naturally, I had to see if you were anywhere near our sector."

"Well I'm not, but I could be," Corsair said, looking more serious as he looked off screen where Alex knew he was searching for whatever device Corsair kept in his cockpit that kept him up to date on the Earth calendar. "Yeah, I can be there on time. Where am I going?"

Here, Alex held his breath for an instant. He'd always done his best to keep Corsair _away_ from Magneto, but in this instance, he also knew Scott was leaning toward returning to the island for _other_ concerns, so for the second time in the whole time that Alex had been living on Genosha, he invited his father to visit _there_. "Genosha," he said finally. "Scott finally broke down and brought the kids over spring break and they seemed to enjoy themselves. So, we were talking about trying it with _everyone_ that we have left, you know? Me, you, Scott … our kids …"

The years showed clearly around Corsair's eyes as he nodded and even Alex could see that he was sorry to have missed so much of his sons' lives. "Will there be a place for my crew?"

"We'll work something out," Alex said. "I didn't want to bring that part up unless I knew you'd be able to come."

"Of course, I'll be there," Corsair promised, though it was pretty clear that he'd caught something else by watching the anxiety on Alex's face. "Is your brother alright?"

"I mean … it's _Scott_. There's a certain level of what's to be expected with him."

"Yeah, he seemed on edge the last time I saw him," Corsair agreed.

"That was before the kids restarted the X-Men," Alex said dryly.

"They _what_?" Corsair said, straightening up with a thunderous look that Alex recognized from when he was _very_ small.

"Talk to Scott," Alex advised. "He can fill you in on everything."

"I think I will," Corsair said.

"And I'll get in touch with the details for the birthday, alright?" Alex smiled to himself. "Chris and Suzie will love seeing everyone."

"It'll be nice to have the whole family in once place for a little bit," Corsair agreed with a sad smile. "Alright. I'll talk to Scott. Check in soon, huh?" The request was a quiet one, and Corsair was watching Alex closely with a look of concern that Alex understood immediately.

"I will. In the next couple of days."

Corsair's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and with a silent nod, it was clear he got the message: something was up and he needed more clarification. "I'll be waiting."

* * *

"Mister Mueller!" Toby called out, putting strong emphasis on the last name to be sure to catch Scott's attention. "You have been avoiding me for _weeks_."

"I haven't meant to," Scott said, gesturing openly as he glanced both ways up and down the street. He was only a few blocks from the house. Of course Toby would catch him in public. "It's been … complicated lately."

"Yes, we should talk about that, too," Toby said as he fell into step with Scott.

Scott frowned, noticing quickly that a few of the neighbors seemed suddenly interested in the conversation, and then waved for Toby to join him. "You're right. It's been too long. Have coffee with me, rabbi," he said — not because he wanted to talk but because he didn't like the exposure of attention.

"Yes, I'd love to," Toby said, as if this was perfectly normal and Scott hadn't been avoiding exactly this for so long now.

Scott sighed but led the way until they were back to his house. The walk for those last few blocks had been filled with small talk, so it was clear that whatever the Rabbi had on his mind - he was being smart enough to get hat out of the way before they made it to the house. Once they were through the front door and in his kitchen with coffee in front of them, an expectant silence hung over them until Scott set down the mugs. He'd expected Toby to blurt it out once they were in a safe place, but now? He could see that he was _holding back._

"How bad is it, Toby?" Scott asked at last. "I know everyone saw James without his mask on. And I'd like to thank you for whatever you've been doing to keep us from being mobbed while the anchors are speculating almost every day."

"Would you believe it if I told you that our neighborhood can understand the value of giving someone their privacy when it matters?" Toby said with a smile.

Scott sighed. "Fair enough," he conceded.

"Besides, it's not bad at all, from what I've heard around the neighborhood."

"Yeah, I've been scanning for trouble," Scott said, tapping his temple near his eyes. "Had a few come from outside the neighborhood trying to get close to James, but they didn't make it to our block. Got too many people looking out for that kid." He leaned back slightly. "Which is good."

"I've actually had a little uptick in families looking for a _meeting_ ," Toby said with a little laugh. "For James, of course, but really - for all three of them again. But I'm not here for matchmaking, believe it or not."

"Good, because I don't know if you've noticed, but two out of three of my kids are starting to get serious." He paused. "As serious as Nate is capable of being, mind you."

"I think he's more serious than you realize," Toby said. "I've _heard_ things, you know. And that kid hasn't picked up on the girls trying to get his attention at _all_. That has always been an indicator in my line of work — when they can't even see the other options." He gestured toward the living room. "The other one sees it but doesn't acknowledge it. I've _seen_ that happen myself. But again … I'm here to talk to _you._ "

Scott spread his hands wide and shrugged. "You know me, Toby. I can't help but talk about my kids."

"Deflect, deflect, deflect," Toby said. "We all do that sooner or later. But you, my friend, have been avoiding talking to me since you got back from Genosha."

"Toby, I've just been busy. I haven't been avoiding anyone. Or I've been avoiding _everyone_ , I guess. It wasn't personal."

"If I hadn't called you out on the street, you would have dodged me." Toby smiled softly. "But I don't think it's personal. Not exactly. I think you just don't want to tell me why your _famous_ son is so concerned about the state of things that he's been _allowing me_ to counsel him. Don't worry, he agreed to letting me tell you as much. He even wished me luck at pinning you down to talk."

Scott's frown deepened, and he was quiet for a long time as he watched the steam from his mug. "Did he tell you what I told him on Genosha?" he asked at last.

"He did," Toby said. "And it opened a whole can of worms that he came to me to help sort out. Because he recognized that he couldn't do it for himself, and he couldn't put it on you knowing what you'd gone through."

"Because I'm too close to it," Scott said in a sigh.

"I don't think it was that. If it makes you feel any better, he didn't want to talk to anyone at _work_ about it either. But I don't think it was for how close you are. He hasn't told his siblings or Billy either. In fact, I believe it has more to do with not wanting to worry you when you clearly have so much on your mind already."

Scott shook his head. "No, he knows I can't help him sort it out because I still haven't sorted it out for myself," he said. "And I appreciate you being the outside counsel for him when I can't."

"He's convinced that if something happens to you, it would be because of _them_ ," Toby said frankly.

A lot of the color left Scott's face. "No," he said at last, softly. "I don't… no, that's not —" He cut himself off as he tried to put his words together. "I don't know how to explain to him that he can't carry my mental health on his shoulders. I've tried." He glanced over at Toby. "Maybe you can."

"I'll be honest, Scott, it's incredibly hard to ignore his logic when he decides that's how it works out. It makes sense in a very simple cause and effect manner, but it ignores too many details for me. As in .. whatever it is you're planning or not planning, would you be doing it at all if it wasn't for the kid doing what he is — mostly behind a mask?" Toby tipped his head. "Or would you still be trying to live your quiet, hidden away life protecting them for everything you could?" He smiled sadly. "That's the kind of logic I need to work around … and from that angle ... "

Scott sighed again, his coffee untouched. "It's complicated," he said at last. "I can't answer for sure, but I do know Kitty would have reached out for help eventually. You've seen Magneto on the news lately. You know that's part of why I went to Genosha. And seeing him try to _rule_ his family, I don't doubt he would have left that island to cause problems anyway — as soon as his grandsons left to go to school where they could be 'influenced' by Ororo and the others."

Toby nodded slowly as Scott spoke, and for a short while after. "That's a very good point," he agreed. "But I don't know how that could have worked out for everyone if you hadn't gotten the easy route in. What concerns me — and I'll save you the psycho babble and the long, winding route — because I don't think you have the patience for it. What concerns me, is that your boy has thought that story over. The story about his parents and how they died. About your wife, and so many of those you lost. It had to have been horrific. But … he's been thinking about his father's viewpoint in that, and he told me that he understood it. That boy is amazingly good at having empathy for others. He _easily_ puts himself in their shoes and feels it profoundly. It's because of that … he's concerned for you because he recognizes the expression _you're wearing_ because he's seen it in himself. He told me that before he heard that story, he _had_ considered taking his own life. He promised that's not the case now, but he holds himself responsible for a lot of things he couldn't have had any real impact on. Now, where that kid got such an Atlas complex, I can't begin to understand, but he seems prepared to take the blame for every terrible thing around him."

Scott had by that time abandoned the idea of coffee for leaning on his hands, his expression nearly pained. "His parents were the same way," he said quietly. "I never could get them to see their worth and they always found ways to twist the reality of any situation to be their burden."

"Just his parents, hmm?" Toby challenged, and when Scott glanced up at him, he decided not to lob the ball quite so hard at this first meeting. "He's also convinced that it's just a matter of time before he gets picked up."

"Okay, that he got from me," Scott admitted. "I've been convinced of that since he was three. And we've come close enough times that he's got good reason to be paranoid."

"I sincerely hope you're both way off base there. Especially since he seems to have accepted it."

"You know that's the only reason I'm coming out of retirement. Trying to ease things for them," Scott said tiredly.

"That won't help them if you don't take care of yourself, too. I know that boy would give himself up if it was to help _you_. Or the others, for that matter."

"Don't say that," Scott said, slightly more sharply than he meant to - because it was a little too close to home.

"I'll take that as I'm right then," Toby said, sitting back in his seat. "I can tell you when he was on screen in that uniform, letting that little girl play with the mask, while most of our community took it as a celebration of how things _should be_ , I was concerned that it was a self destructive move on his part. Like he's pushing to see if there would be a response. He denied it, of course."

"He wouldn't do that," Scott said. "If he was alone, I'd be worried about that, but he wouldn't do that with Rachel and Nate in consideration. He's too much like Logan to put them at risk _with_ him."

"Then explain it to me," Toby said. "Because as his therapist, I'm having trouble believing it was _just_ for the kids."

Scott sighed. "It _was_ — at first," he clarified. "I know it was. Nothing else mattered to him but saving those kids. After that, I can only guess that he didn't _think_ to put the mask back on. Not just because he was distracted but because he doesn't want it in the first place." He shrugged, his body language relaxed with the motion but his expression pinched. "I've heard the three of them talking about it, about how much they hate hiding. James … can be so much like his father sometimes. Especially when it comes to feeling like he shouldn't have to hide."

"I can tell you, the neighborhood was pleased with the team to begin with, but most of them took those kids as imitators — until they saw the clear resemblance that James has to his father. Especially with the uniform _and_ with the mask off. I can't believe how many of them didn't see it before then."

"It's the height," Scott said, his smile returning.

"That's _all_? I didn't realize his father was short. He always seemed larger than life."

"Well, he also picked up some of my mannerisms," Scott admitted. "And to be honest, by the time he was _old_ enough to match his father, it had been long enough that the only people who would have seen the connection were the ones that knew Logan, or people looking for us anyway because of _me_."

"That's a lot for those kids to carry," Toby said, then leaned toward him. "And yes, I can see who is who. I'm not discussing it with anyone, and believe it or not, your son has been consistent in refusing to acknowledge who is on the team. I'm waiting for people to realize he and _Wiccan_ are an item. I know they've been careful in uniform."

"James is a good kid," Scott said, almost automatically, though he sounded both relieved and tired when he heard what Toby had to say.

"They all are," Toby agreed. "But at the risk of drawing down your _wrath_ , those kids _need you_. For a lot more than you give them credit for, too."

"Toby, I already promised James while we were in Genosha that I wasn't going to follow Logan's path," Scott said, somehow sounding more tired at the admission than at any other time during their discussion.

"Good, good," Toby said in an encouraging tone. "I'm relieved to hear it. But you're less 'fine' than I've ever seen you. I can understand why the boy is concerned."

"It's been a long time since I was Cyclops," Scott said. "Even if I don't have my powers anymore, that's what I'm doing right now - working with my old teammates to stop Magneto."

"I have a feeling it was never just about your powers, Scott," Toby said.

"It wasn't." Scott got to his feet. "Well, rabbi, you can tell the suitors as gently as you can that the boys are taken, but I do actually need to get some work done. I'm expecting some intel from Kitty soon."

Toby nodded and got to his feet. "Before I go, I need to tell you one more thing — James said he's never made a plan to _act_ on. You should know that. He doesn't want to make anything worse."

Scott let his shoulders drop. "Thank you."

* * *

"Why don't we do this more often?" Billy asked as he dropped onto the couch in America's rarely used apartment. "It's been forever since we got to hang out and _relax_."

"That's on you, _chico_ ," America replied, then took a seat on the back of the couch, looking down at him. "You've been _busy_ with training and sucking face with that boy…"

"Not so much lately," he said. "His dad has him locked down pretty tight. All three of them, really."

"So magic him out - or magic yourself in," America answered with a wave. "Go get the princess out of the tower."

"It's not that simple," Billy argued as Kate took the seat on the other end of the couch with a bowl of ice cream and then put her feet up on his lap. "He's been pretty specific not to screw around with zapping into his room to keep things on level ground with his dad. It's been his _one_ request, so … I'm not going to cross that line. Unless it's like … an emergency."

America raised an eyebrow and blinked once. "It's an emergency," she said in a flat, even tone. "How is he such a _goodie two shoes?_ I saw him pulling all kinds of crap when we _met_. This is dumb."

"As tempting as it is to just zap him here, I really _would_ like to spend some time with _you two_ ," Billy said.

"What's the problem?" America asked, frowning already. "He catch the same stupid his brother got?"

"No?" Billy said slowly. "I don't _think_ so?"

"I can hit him for you," America offered, lightly knocking her fist into the palm of her hand. "Maybe it'll knock some sense into him."

"I don't think that's a good solution," Billy said.

"He can take it," America shot back. "I can be there and back and bring pizza on my way."

"Again, no," Billy told her. "We've just got our wires crossed. When he's free, I've been with my dad, and when I'm free, he's either on house arrest or somewhere with Iron Man. He still hasn't taken the time to explain why he's the _favorite_ intern there."

"I mean, to be fair, he did grow up running away from people trying to use him for his genes and then took his mask off with live television reporting at the time, so, like, the house arrest is a real thing," Kate pointed out, because it was clear to her that Billy and James weren't really _communicating_ as well as she'd like, and clearly, it was time for explanation.

"Yeah, I know," Billy said. "But I'm not crazy about keeping to that rule all the time. Kind of kills spontaneity when it has to be _preapproved_."

America nodded to herself. "Same family different stupid."

Kate shrugged easily. "Like I can talk. My mom's just about as paranoid as their dad."

"Ran a background check on me before we dated," America stage-whispered to Billy.

"Yeah, Kate's dad mentioned how irritated she was that she couldn't run a decent background check on me, too." Billy shook his head then turned to Kate with a crooked smile. "Your parents are _so_ overprotective."

"I know," Kate said primly.

"I could probably make a joke about how _Magneto_ is more trusting …"

"Yeah, um, excuse you, no, I was there for the magnetic burrito he pulled on James," Kate said, making a face.

"I almost forgot about that," he said, frowning to himself. "But I think Grandfather's over it, for the most part. Misunderstanding. They were pretty much getting along on Genosha. At least … as much as possible."

Kate gave Billy the driest look she could manage. "Uh-huh." When Billy blinked at her, she took it one step further, "So I guess he's okay with me now, huh?"

"Working on it," Billy said. "But … no. Not yet."

"Uh-huh."

"You should have heard the 'discussion' he had with James' dad after we were all kicked out."

"Did it involve your grandfather _not_ trying to make everyone bow to his will? Or admitting he's racist? Or backing off of James?"

"Well … no. It was more about Cyclops laying down how it was."

"Yeah, Scott gets protective," Kate said, not at all surprised to hear it. "And I'd have paid to see his brand of protective hit your grandfather's brand."

"It was more entertaining to watch the chess games," Billy admitted as he got up to grab a soda - and America slipped into his spot.

Kate sighed and kicked her feet up so that her legs were draped over America's lap where they lounged on the couch. "I'm still not buying it, Billy."

"No, really. Scott played him to a draw, then James beat him with pawns. It was entertaining."

"And that cured the racism."

"It got him to back off of _James_ ," Billy said.

"Then set me up with a chess board and your grandpa, I guess," Kate drawled out, which got a snerk out of America.

"That'd be fun," Billy said. "Right up until you rebounded a Bishop off his forehead."

"Hey, the Black Widow taught me chess. I'd wait until I won before I played darts with chess pieces like my dad taught me."

Billy was grinning at her by that time. "Okay."

"Well, if you two are done setting up Katie's playdate with Magneto," America said, smirking when Kate hit her with a pillow, "I'm ordering takeout."

"She's only saying that because she isn't getting a playdate," Billy said in a stage whisper.

Kate grinned back at him. "That's because she has high standards and I'm a tough act to follow."

"Which reminds me," Billy said as he turned his whole body toward America. " _Who_ _have you been seeing_?"

America shrugged easily. "Flirted with Eleanor, but would you believe _Agent Coulson_ stepped in and got protective of Deadpool's kid? Because that's a thing."

"You let a SHIELD agent slow you down?" Billy laughed. "Why?"

"Because he dressed like an uncle and said 'please' while looking like he was going to murder me. It was amazingly hilarious."

"But now I want to see that. _Before_ Kate starts marathon texting her beloved. They're working toward a shotgun wedding, you know."

"He damn well better not require a shotgun to get in gear if it gets to that point or there won't _be_ a groom," America said. Her tone was casual, but she absolutely meant it.

"I think she's a little protective of you, Katie," Billy laughed.

"She threatened your brother the same way yesterday, so don't get too comfy," Kate pointed out.

"My brother earned it," Billy said with a shrug. "He was going too far with the 'locker room' talk for anyone's tastes. I considered going in detail about my _own_ stuff just to get him to shut up."

"I've mentioned that I love you, right?" Kate laughed.

"I could stand to hear it now and again," Billy said. "Love you too, by the way." He was grinning on saying it too.

"And because I love you, _I_ will order the takeout. America goes outside our dimension and then laughs when you get food poisoning."

"You gotta let that go, Princess," America laughed.

"I can just magic something edible," Billy pointed out with a wave. "Or wish her into a blonde." He turned to catch her gaze. "Guy."

"That would be novel," America drawled out. "I've never been that fragile."

"I'll do it for your birthday then. Just for the voice drop."

"I'll record it," Kate promised.

"Then we can hire a drag queen to jump out of her cake, too … for the full effect."

"Perfect." Kate whipped out her phone to start ordering food. "Now. I'm getting Korean."

"Of course you are," Billy said, then shifted to settle in a little better. "Did you try that new Kurdish place? The babaganoush and tava was amazing."

"I took Mia in her inducer so she could get out and try new things. She liked it so much she wants to bring your brother there," Kate said, smiling more. "He might be an idiot, but I'm so glad they got together. He can get her out of the house, even if it's into trouble."

"She needs a little trouble," Billy said. " _All_ of you repressed kids do."

"Include yourself in that, Billy-boy. Prince in the ivory tower and all that," America teased.

"Different kind of repression," he countered. "Mine's more just … exposure to people that aren't mutants." He gestured to both of them. "Oh look! Progress!"

America laughed and yanked on his arm to pull him closer so she could kiss his cheek. "And we're so proud of you."

"Just have to get Kate to stop making that face at me every time my grandfather comes up," Billy replied, shifting to lean on America, too.

"Only when he stops making a face at my existence," Kate sang out happily.

"Fair - but _I'm_ not the one earning the Kate face of disapproval. That would be like me insisting on making faces at you until your mom decided not to have me on her 'undetermined' list. Or whatever. Like I'm out to _corrupt_ my sweetheart. Please."

"Well you are his _first_ boyfriend," America pointed out, though she was clearly amused.

"I will _try_ to control my face," Kate teased. "But only because I love you so." She tossed a pillow his way. "The things I do for you, oh Genoshan prince."


	52. From Radio Silence To Shock And Awe

"You're _sure_ you're up to a mission already?" James asked Nate as the team loaded up to go after a call from mutants in distress in one of the less _tolerant_ boroughs of NYC.

"Wow. You really _are_ worried about me lately. Are _you_ okay, James?" Nate shot back, but when he got a more serious look from James he relented. "I promise, I'm all healed up," Nate said. "And I got a clean bill of health from Uncle Blue. Even Dad had to admit I'm alright."

James nodded to himself, but still took the copilot chair next to his little brother. "If something goes wrong — or you feel off _at all_ —"

"I'm _fine_ ," Nate insisted. "Really. I just need to get out there and _do_ something."

"Okay," James said, then leaned back in his seat, purposely not touching anything in the cockpit when he knew Nate _really_ wanted to fly. "You know I have to check."

"Yeah, I know," Nate said. "But usually you leave it to Rachel."

"Rachel is going to be preoccupied trying to scan everyone for six city blocks to make sure that we're not going into a _reporting_ zone," James pointed out. "And since the Avengers have been swamped with press and people wanting to know just who exactly we all are under the masks -"

"It's too late. They figured you out, big bro."

"Yeah, no kidding. I'm pretty sure that was a lost cause anyhow — trying to keep _that_ quiet."

Nate smirked. "Dad talked with Rachel and I to make sure we know not to do anything like that."

"I had a good —"

"We know, we know," Nate said, waving him off. "It's just kind of funny to me that the one of us that was trying to toe the line the hardest and keep himself in the rules all the time was the one to break the biggest rule right out of the gate."

"Not _the_ biggest one," James said, almost sullenly.

"Maybe, maybe not," Nate argued, since it really was unusual for James to bend the rules. Especially if it was a rule that Scott was honestly concerned over.

"Shut up and fly."

"How's the chatter on the dark web?"

" _Shut up_ , Nate," James said, more serious this time.

"That bad?"

James sighed heavily and his shoulders slumped. "Kind of nonexistent, actually."

"Are you disappointed?"

"No, it's just …it's more likely that they have a plan to put into action, that's all," James said, turning his head to keep from giving away to his brother how concerned he was. "Natasha's keeping an eye open. Paranoia is high. Let's just … can we worry about that part later, huh?"

Nate nodded to himself as he got them airborne, and only didn't argue with any of it because Kate and Billy were cackling between themselves on their plans for the weekend. It was a rare kind of occasion in that Nate didn't have any sports to go to - and by default, Kate didn't have any cheerleading practice either - and because of that - and how paranoid their parents were after the accidental unmasking, both Summers boys had grudgingly agreed to go on a double date with their significant others for their first official outings after the busting. It was especially hard to escape after Kate insisted it was for 'Safety's sake' with wide eyes that never seemed to fail her when she was scamming Scott.

But while Billy and Kate were plotting and planning and _giggling_ , Tommy and Mia were snuggling up and simply enjoying a few minutes that were relatively to themselves. Since she'd missed out on going to Genosha — which Storm absolutely forbid — Tommy had come back in full Prince Charming mode … at least _his_ version of prince charming. It was obvious that he'd missed her in the week they were gone and he had been making up for time lost by spoiling her rotten.

They reached their destination quickly enough — and they'd been circling for a little while before finally, Rachel let out a breath. "Okay. I can't hear any honestly ill intentions toward _us_ down there. Just the general hatred of mutants. Nothing specific or directed."

"Great, then we can get in, get the people in trouble, and get out," Nate decided as he headed for a clearing that would hold their mini-jet easily with enough room to keep it concealed.

As they landed, James double checked his panic buttons and Nate's — since it had become _such_ a point of contention with the adults - before he got to his feet and got a quick kiss from Billy and a teasing one on the cheek from Kate.

"We just need to find the one in trouble," Rachel said. "Nate, Mia, and I can do that if you guys can hold them off."

"No problem," Tommy said, stretching out and making a show out of cracking his knuckles. "As long as these two can keep from starting a make-out session in the middle of the fight."

"No promises," James shot back, perfectly seriously as Billy grinned wider.

"You're trying to scar me for life," Tommy muttered, shaking his head as the door opened - and with a whoosh of wind, he was gone.

"So dramatic," James muttered — which was cue enough for Billy to show he wasn't going to be outdone by his speedster twin.

He grinned — and as his eyes lit up with a blue-white light, Billy floated up and out of the jet. The Summers kids shook their heads, but Nate, Mia, and Rachel grinned at James and disappeared in a swirl of purple-pink smoke leaving James as last out.

When he stepped out of the jet, he didn't see right away where the trouble was. It wasn't as overt as they were used to seeing. But the twins were already far ahead of him — and when he listened hard enough, he heard the muted _bamf_ that told him where his siblings and Mia were. And he was pretty far behind the curve. So, James simply started to jog toward the sound of fighting. It was a little step the group had long ago agreed to — someone would be last in by a stretch to give them a back up in case there was a trap to be sprung, and this time, it was James playing last man standing.

As it turned out, the group of mutants in distress were surrounded by military looking troops and holding them at gunpoint. There were almost a dozen kids in varying stages of distress — most of them physically mutated, and half or more of those kids were clutching to an image inducer , shaking them — and as Nate and Rachel found out quickly enough — panicking internally at the unexplained failure. With a shared look, they looped in the rest of the team that was present so they could fight without openly telling the soldiers what they were up to.

The group had only done the team link up a handful of times, and Rachel was once again trying to control her inner sailor's mouth as she grumbled about James' lack of cooperation on that front. Like it or not, he was going to _have_ to go along with it for situations like that. Even if she had to hit him - she was going to _make_ him join in. It was outside of what they'd trained or planned for and with the soldiers they were seeing, it was a major problem for him to be out of the loop. "Stupid, stubborn _moron_ ," she grumbled out as she held up her hands to push the troops back from the group of captive mutants.

It gave the team room to move in and help — which was of course, jus what the larger, _unseen_ group of soldiers was waiting for. Mia, Tommy, and Billy had moved in to free the prisoners. Billy was untying those that were restrained with rope while Tommy destroyed restraints and cage locks for a few of them and Mia picked the locks on the handcuffs. And as soon as the three of them were properly distracted, someone took a shot at Nate and Rachel using some sort of bolo that looped around them and tightened up the more they struggled.

A second bolo was fired but Mia disappeared in a swirl before it could wrap around her — though it did manage to catch Tommy — who was quick to start swearing and uttering curses at his displeasure. Not that it lasted with Billy there - _instantly_ in a foul mood because of his brother's situation.

Kate rushed in to help Nate and Rachel — or at least cover them while Rachel burned the ropes off. Kate shot four arrows toward an advancing group just as Billy's eyes glowed and he began muttering something under his breath that had Tommy crowing about how screwed those soldiers were.

Meanwhile, James was four blocks from where they landed when he heard the rhythmic sound of marching boots — jingling in time together and obviously carrying _some_ kind of ordinance with them. He frowned and turned his head toward the sound, but as he raised his hand toward the comm to ask for information from whoever was at the tower at the time, an explosion of blue light that could _only_ have come from Wiccan caught his attention. He forgot all about the comm and rushed toward the center of the light that had blown all the windows out of a six story building only to be hit entirely off his feet when a massive guy tackled him from the side.

James turned his head — just in time to catch a fist to the face before he'd even hit the ground with the massive attacker still looming over him. He blocked the next hit without thinking about it, but couldn't stop the following two. Not without letting out a growl and going purely on instincts when he sent a handful of claws into the guy's shoulder then positively froze when his counterattack was answered with a bellowing roar and a slash of claws that hit James across his chest and one arm slicing him wide open.

James reacted without thinking — slashing his attacker across the face and neck with a snarl of his own - which was enough to knock the guy loose long enough for James to get on his feet to fight more squarely. "Who are you?" James asked with a growl lacing his tone thickly.

The blonde rolled his shoulders and smiled — or near enough to it as large bottom canine teeth protruded from his lip with a malicious looking grin. But the only answer from the stranger was a full frontal assault that gave James no time to do anything but fight back with everything he had.

The blown out windows were still raining glass down when quite suddenly, Billy's powers flickered and he fell four feet to the ground, no longer floating — and with no chaos magic to fuel him. "Kate," Billy called out, looking more nervous since he really _hadn't_ practiced nearly enough without relying on his magic. "Do you have any extra toys to spare?"

"Just don't get grabbed," Nate said as he double checked the charge on his laser pistols. "I brought enough … I think."

The mutants that were to be rescued looked as if they were afraid to move — especially when they were very sure that the young X-Men there to save them were about to be captured themselves.

Tommy was more resourceful than he'd been given credit for though — and before anyone could stop him, he picked up a length of pipe and started swinging at soldiers that got too close to the captives. He was trying not to show his cards — which included a fair amount of panic on Mia's behalf since he didn't see where she'd disappeared.

Wisely, Mia had held tight to her perch high above the group. She'd tried to hit her panic button, but couldn't see if it had _worked_ when the light wouldn't go on to _show_ that it had been hit. And the precariousness of her perch had her holding on tight while her powers weren't working. She wasn't _sure_ if her grip would work on walls if her teleportation was off … she'd never tried it and she wasn't about to do it now with soldiers everywhere.

Ad while most of the X-Men were fighting, Mia found herself shrinking away from the sounds _over_ her head — Helicopters were coming in … circling … and they sounded a lot bigger than the news choppers and medical transports she'd heard in the past.

Of course, the fear of not being able to fight back what was in front of them disappeared when Billy's powers seemed to turn back on with a loud _snap_ and another explosion of blue light. _He must have been trying to do that this whole time_ , Mia thought to herself as Rachel's voice echoed in her head suddenly.

 _Get down to level ground,_ Rachel told her. _These jerks have multiple dampeners with them. I don't want you falling at the wrong time._ But she barely got her thought out before Mia was next to her, anxiously waving her tail behind her. "Just remember what we learned about hand to hand, okay? We've got plenty to fight either way."

* * *

Tommy rushed outside to find and back up James since he had been the only one missing for the duration of the fight and he knew if he didn't look with all those soldiers around them, Billy would be freaking out in no time. But he didn't have to go too far as he stumbled upon the big fight between James and the massive blond. Both of them were bloodied up pretty badly and James' uniform was a _joke_ at that point for how shredded and bloodied it was, but somehow, more alarming than that was the fact that he was using his claws. That was something Tommy simply hadn't _seen._

"I found him," Tommy said in his comm. "But he's not …okay, he's fighting some creep that's slashing him up pretty badly and there are reinforcements circling so … we need to -you know … save our idiot Wolverine who can't see what's going on around him. Oh, and by the way, _he's using his claws_. That is just … so weird."

"What?" Nate said, picking his head up and rushing for the door, though more than half of the team was echoing the same sentiment, even as they tried to wrangle the rescued mutants too. When they caught up to where they could see the fight, it was a shock to watch. James had excelled at learning every form of martial arts that had been put in front of him by Tony or Steve, and he'd always been an impressive fighter … but it wasn't enough against this guy.

The blonde wasn't even using much finesse in his attack - more like all claws, hard hits, and dirty tricks that clearly _hurt_. What's more — it seemed like James had all but forgotten _most_ of his training the more angry he got and was just … lashing out in response to the attacks.

Nate picked up his rifle and tried to take aim — but the two of them were moving too fast and he didn't want to risk shooting his brother. Even if it _was_ non-lethal. And he couldn't really _see_ if James was anywhere close to getting the upper hand. He had full faith that James would … he always seemed to … but at risk of quoting Kate … this looked bad.

The blond had just swiped at James as the two passed each other and though James had hit him hard, the creep had also left James with five long jagged tears down his back. As James turned, the blond took a hold of James' wrist and swung him like a rag doll. James hit the corner of a brick building, and by the time he'd hit the sidewalk, the guy was reaching for him again. He picked James up by his hair and had his arm wrapped around his chest from behind - pinning his arms to his side, but as the blond started to take a few steps, Nate took a shot. The round hit the blonde in his shoulder - almost to his neck- but it wasn't enough to make him drop James and instead, he turned to use him as a human shield as he sought cover.

It was enough for James to get the presence of mind to take the opening and send a set of claws through the guy's stomach, though. The roar in his ear left him reeling, but he saw how dire the circumstances really were when he _finally_ spotted the black-clad soldiers closing in from a few blocks out. On seeing them moving in — and knowing they were for him, James froze for an _instant_. He'd grown up knowing that black-clad soldiers would try to take him. He knew it wasn't an idle threat — but to see it in person, with his own eyes was honestly _terrifying._ He squirmed in the guy's grip and pushed back on him, trying desperately to get him to _let go_ , but the massive blond had him outclassed, strength-wise.

As the soldiers started to fire on the X-Men from further out in an attempt to keep them back, James managed to focus enough to remember some of what Natasha had taught him when he was _small._ It wasn't much, and it wasn't something he'd been able to practice now that he was nearly as tall as Steve and Tony, but … none of the usual fighting tactics were _working_. Even his best hits weren't sticking for long on this guy, and when he finally saw that the blond was slowly dragging him closer to the soldiers in spite of all the hassle James was giving him, there was no doubt that if he didn't get away from them, that would be it for James. If he couldn't fight one guy off ... it was game over.

A helicopter overhead reminded James that most — if not all of it — might be broadcast, which meant that if it was, their Dad was more than likely watching. He needed to get away from this guy. _Fast_. Before he could overthink it - or the blonde could make more progress, James twisted his arm and got a hold of the guy below the belt - just to grab a handful of whatever he could and twist. Predictably, the blonde did _not_ appreciate it, though instead of letting him go, he dropped, falling over James enough that he couldn't just shake loose of him. He could hear Tommy working his way closer - which was good. A few seconds with Tommy outside of a dampener would cure all the stupid this monster was dragging around with him, but … Tommy needed to get to him first - and the solders with their dampening zones were making that frustratingly difficult.

But then James got enough of an opening to make it a clear shot when he kicked the guy just above the outside of his knee as hard as he could. He was _hoping_ that they were in one of the dampener zones when he did it — then he might have a chance to stop the guy. But outside of getting in a few good shots that made the creep let him go for a moment — and get a new grip on him — it wasn't enough.

The blonde caught James' fist when he threw a punch and James popped his claws through the guy's hand. The blonde started to twist his wrist — and it was enough to force James' arm out and away even though he wasn't _holding_ James' fist. His free hand darted up and wrapped around James' throat as he picked him up and slammed him against the back of a pickup truck that was parked in the street. The guy was strong enough, that it both felt and looked effortless on his part as he slammed James a few times, chuckling low the whole time as he knocked James silly. And every time James hit his head, he lost a little more of his ability to do _anything_ but try to pry the blond's hand off of his neck.

Rachel could barely see what was going on — and more scary than the fight itself to her was the _sounds_ coming from the fight. At first, from her angle, all she could see was the two guys brawling. Terrifyingly, the growls and _honest snarls_ were hair raising - especially when she knew her little brother didn't really _do_ that. But … when she heard the cracks as James was thrown around … followed by the drop off of what she knew well enough was James' growls, she set their team to work to get _rid_ of their idiotic dampeners. She couldn't _risk_ her team - _her family_ \- and the only way to be effective was for them to be able to use what they had been born with to fight back _an army_.

Billy _hated_ that Rachel was right, too … and it seemed like just about the time he'd get a spell well under way, a dampener would pop up near them destroying his spell and honestly pissing him off worse. But the group of them could get rid of the dampeners that were keeping them back from James. He just hoped he didn't have to do something _drastic_ if they'd _taken him_ by the time they got their job done.

Another hard crack echoed the street and James' growl fell off entirely. He was seeing double and he could smell and taste blood as he mentally catalogued 'massive head trauma' just to keep himself _awake_. The angle that the blonde had James pinned was an awkward one and it was everything James could do to hold the guy at bay. He was pushing with the arm the guy had a hold of, though he couldn't keep pressure up forever when the angle was so _bad_ and his free arm was still busy trying to pry the guy's fingers from around his throat. James started to panic freshly when the blond's claws started to sink into his neck so he did the only thing he could and popped the claws on his free hand to stab the guy high in the chest.

The grip around his throat disappeared— fast enough to leave claw marks as the guy grabbed James' wrist before he could twist it or draw back and James leaned toward him to try and get some leverage to get loose. He never saw it coming when the blond shifted the arm that was pinned by his claws to simply snap James's claws clean off.

A small battalion of soldiers whistled and cheered as James couldn't stop the scream that followed a knee wobbling wave of nausea that had him losing what little ground he had. While he was still reeling, the blond reached out and repeated the action with James's other set of claws leaving him effectively weaponless while the guy manhandled him. And every movement the blond made was accented as he ripped into James' flesh with long, curved, razor-sharp lion's claws.

The soldiers were only a few buildings away and it was clear to all of the kids that they were set to recover. There were two different choppers coming in low, looking for a place to land and seeing them moving in had James more desperate than he had been before. He tried to rally, knowing he was losing, and raged, roared, and pushed as hard as he could, but when the blond had him by a foot in every direction, and James had lost _so much steam_ … he honestly didn't have the strength. He could hardly remember feeling so helpless, and for an instant, he considered giving up. But only for an instant.

As he pushed hard to angle away from the truck, his opponent pushed harder until James couldn't stop the cry of pain as his wrists were crushed when the blond pushed him into another pin. It was rough and only worked by virtue of James just being _done._ He had no room to move and the hair on his neck moved from the simple action of the blond breathing. He was working hard to hold James, even if he had already essentially won, James wasn't making it easy on him to _keep_ holding him. When James glanced up to meet the guy's gaze, the blond's lip curled back in a cruel sort of snarl inches away.

James frowned harder while the blonde smiled crookedly with a wicked sort of glint in his eyes that only looked nastier as James struggled to pull his wrists free, though he held his breath in a panic when he _thought_ he heard someone talking through a comm that wasn't his. It was whisper quiet, even to James' ears, but it quickly echoed louder when the blonde rasped out 'that's it. Keep fighting …'m gonna tear your throat out.' James held his breath and his body went into autopilot. He wasn't even _thinking_ , and he certainly wasn't planning as he went for the only move that was available to him to get blondie to back off when he was _winning_.

He wasn't growling anymore as he stared at the blond _inches_ from his face. And since force simply wasn't moving the mountain, James blinked twice, thought about it for every bit of a tenth of a second, then tipped his head and kissed him hard, square on the mouth.

From there a few things happened very quickly. The blond startled back - shocked enough to let James go entirely - which was just enough time for James to register that Tommy had positively _hit the ground_ nearby laughing himself silly in spite of the severity of their situation. James had glanced at Tommy with a frown, then gathered his senses up enough to kick the blonde back a few paces and an instant later the blonde had come _completely_ unhinged and attacked him again - all claws and teeth and _rage_. His first strike knocked James into the pickup truck hard enough to move the truck almost entirely across the street with him. He felt several bones break with the impact, and he couldn't move his legs when he hit the ground after the truck came to a stop.

When James was unable to draw a decent breath … he knew more than a few things were _definitely_ broken from the pounding he'd taken. He couldn't quite move from that last injury - and as the blond charged with a snarl with spittle dripping from his lips, there was a whole _lot_ of blue light all around James suddenly and the blonde didn't touch him. James turned his head to watch what was happening since he had _nothing_ to contribute in his current state. He could see that Billy was handling that situation neatly both looking and sounding entirely furious while James was overwhelmed from the sudden drop off of adrenaline and the sense that regardless of what these people thought, the battle was over now. Yes, they were still in danger, but Billy was doing his shock and awe thing while Tommy, Nate, and Rachel had the soldiers confused, and a moment later, Mia appeared just a few feet away from James to lay a hand on his shoulder ready to teleport him away if need be.

"What's broken?" Mia asked with wide eyes. "I heard something crack."

"Oh, I don't know," James said, then paused when he realized exactly how much was hurting or bleeding even as his body stitched itself back together. His claws were _gone_ \- lying on the ground bloody and within sight. His wrists had been crushed, his ribs and back ached when he breathed and he was pretty sure one leg wasn't operating right at _all,_ though at least he was starting to _feel_ his legs again _._ He touched his ear then cringed not only from the action itself, but when he saw he was still bleeding from his ears, too. Instead of his usual bluster, James sunk down onto the concrete. "Maybe everything. I just … I'm gonna just stay right here for a while."

There was another flash of blue light not too unlike lightning as Mia tried to rearrange James all the same. "I think your boyfriend is a little jealous," Mia said at a whisper. Which was exactly when there was an echoing, sharp-sounding snap and every mutant that the team had rescued -all of whom were still wearing a collar that Mia couldn't pick - dropped where they stood.

None of the kids seemed to realize what had happened for a moment, and it was Nate who cautiously reached out to one of the kids they'd helped this far. He paled a moment later and stared at his sister wide-eyed as the realization hit the rest of them.

But it was the worst move those soldiers could have made.

Billy's eyes glowed brighter and with a word that none of them quite understood, Billy closed his fist and every scrap of weaponry and communication device rocketed away from the soldiers as the men themselves dropped to the ground unconscious. It didn't matter what material it was made of - if it was a weapon or something capable of broadcasting or transmitting … they lost it.

The weapons all came to rest in a pile under Billy's feet, and though the act in itself was an impressive display of power, Rachel couldn't help but frown at one small section of metal that was covered in blood. Nothing else was bloodied … but that …

She took a few steps toward Billy as he scowled menacingly at the soldiers, hands still outstretched and searching for more from any hiding opposition. It wouldn't be hard for _anyone_ to see the similarities between Billy and Magneto right then.

Rachel knelt down to look at the bloodied metal. "What is this thing?" she asked no one in particular before she started scanning the unconscious minds around her. She knew no one in _their_ team would know. She didn't know if the men in unmarked black suits would would know either, so she tried those that seemed to have been the biggest key players - starting with a commander just a few hundred yards away.

"What do we do with them now?" Tommy asked as he kicked one of the soldiers that was starting to stir.

"Call in SHIELD," Nate said, looking worn for wear, but incredibly relieved that this fight was over.

"No," Billy replied, barely looking at Nate before he concentrated on one wave of soldiers and made them disappear. "We put them where they belong."

"Wait," Nate said, wide-eyed at the large swath of missing soldiers, but before he could say another word another platoon worth of them had disappeared to who knows where.

By that time, Rachel was kneeling next to the massive blonde and going through his mind with a frown the deeper she looked. Before Billy could fully turn toward them, she reached out to him telepathically. _Wait. You need to see this._ Since Billy wasn't following their usual protocols of discussion or permission, Rachel pulled his consciousness with her into the blonde's mind to see what the man had been thinking only to find that there was a massive void from several years earlier. The only thing in the blackness were a few muddied images of missions that he'd been on - but very little of that was lucid thought - and what _was_ lucid thought was a panicked overtone as he did unspeakable acts to what looked like innocent mutants.

 _He's not in control of himself,_ Rachel told Billy as they left the blond's mindscape. _We need to take him to the tower. Betsy can help figure out what's going on with him, but I'm telling you … there is no memory of what he was doing to James. Someone else was in control._

 _How?_ Billy asked, still livid, though tempered since he knew Rachel wouldn't _lie_ to him.

 _I don't know,_ Rachel admitted. _But I think it has something to do with that bloodied … thing. And that … that … might be the same kind of thing that killed those kids._

Not that her answer had Billy looking any less livid. _Fine. I want to know who this guy is before I send him with the others._

"Um … quick question," Mia said, holding one finger up. "Where … are all those soldiers?"

Billy frowned, and the glowing light from his eyes finally faded. "Genoshan prison, of course."

"But … we're not Genoshan," Nate pointed out, looking past Billy at James, who was fighting to stay semi-conscious as he remained where he was, stretched out and bleeding.

"They attacked us," Billy said, then belatedly gestured to himself and his brother. "And it's the one place that will make _sure_ they pay for their crimes."

"See? Totally jealous," Mia laughed in a whisper to James.

"Nah," James said, wincing as he tried to find a comfortable position. "He'd do that for anyone."

"Oh wow, you have some _serious_ head trauma," Mia snickered, though there wasn't much joy to it when James was still that torn up. "You need a new uniform," she pointed out. "And clothes for the ride home."

James had his eyes closed as he tried not to move. "Explains why I'm cold …" He picked up his head and looked toward his feet, which were bare before he set his head down again. "Did he knock me out of my _boots_?"

"I hate to be the one to break it to you, but he knocked you all over the place," Mia said. "The _claws_ were a … um … scary addition. When did you practice with them?"

"I didn't," James said, then tented one hand over his eyes. "Which is probably why I sucked so bad and got my ass kicked six ways to Sunday."

"That and that guy's a futzing _wall_ ," Kate said.

"At least I kept most of my mask this time," James said dryly in a weak attempt at a joke when there was very little _else_ left of his uniform. Things _inside_ were stitching themselves up, which meant there were still open, non-life threatening injuries that were bleeding. And his arm and hands were raw feeling for how much they hurt.

Just as they were turning their attention to each other, Tommy realized - and pointed out to the others - that the jet was on fire, which left them open and stranded. Even if it was _just_ still in the city. "We need a new 'exit strategy' or something," Tommy said as Billy finally crouched down next to James. Billy still looked angry, but now it was tempered with concern over how injured James was.

"I can catch a cab if you're not done being impressive and all ' _tremble, puny humans_ '," James said, then cringed sharply and sucked in a breath when Billy touched him.

"I can get you to _safety_ better and faster than a cab," Billy said, though it was obvious he didn't know how to proceed when James was still in extreme pain.

"Just don't forget to magic that … _thing_ to James' lab," Rachel said. "We need to know what it is."


	53. Explain Yourself

Scott had never missed having a teleporter around as much as when Ororo had called him up, in a panic, telling him that the Avengers were getting real-time intel on the X-Men's mission and had confirmed a seven-foot blonde healer with _claws_ attacking James.

He knew for a fact that Ororo would be flying to the tower, though she'd also be keeping herself out of sight as much as possible, and she had a longer distance to travel. So he had an even chance of getting there before she did. Possibly even before the kids got back.

And they _were_ on their way back. That much he'd managed to get Natasha to confirm for him when he called her. But the facts on the ground were still changing, and there was so much they needed the kids there to confirm that the Avengers didn't have enough answers for Scott's liking.

Because the last damn time a Creed had been anywhere _near_ his family…

Scott went right past Jarvis to where the Avengers were gathered, and already, he didn't like what he was hearing. James was hurt, and it sounded like someone with all the right know-how had made a decent play for the kids. One that could very well have _worked_ , too.

Add to that the fact that the Avengers were shaken by the _deaths_ of every mutant those kids had been trying to save, and Scott was starting to feel more and more like this story was _way_ too familiar.

Scott didn't have too much time to get lost in the similarities before Ororo arrived, wearing almost exactly the same expression Scott was. This was, after all, exactly what they had been worried about - exactly why Ororo had been keeping the school as quiet as possible and why Scott had kept his kids out of the spotlight.

And, as luck would have it, Ororo arrived exactly as the kids did. Their jet had been trashed, so they arrived in different waves, with Mia, Tommy, and Billy getting everyone to the tower as close to instantaneously as possible - which meant Ororo nearly stepped into blue smoke when Mia teleported practically on top of her mom.

Billy had brought James and had been sure to magic him into a _seat_ when he was still obviously concerned about the state of his boyfriend. Mia had teleported the remaining Summers siblings, which meant Tommy came in two waves, first carrying in Kate bridal style just so he could deposit her in Clint's arms and then he came back with a very large Creed, who was not so ceremoniously deposited.

"What _happened_?" Jan asked as she flitted forward, not to the kids, but to help the still-bleeding Creed as Hank rushed along side her - then passed her by to look over the kids when he saw that the Creed boy was unconscious. "And where did he even _come from_?"

"Jan!" both Scott and Tony said at the same time, in almost the same tone, which had them both sharing a look that only lasted as long as it took for Jan to roll her eyes at both of them.

"He is _unconscious_ ," she said with one hand on her hip. "What's he gonna do? _Bleed on me_?" She shook her head as she started cleaning him up. "If he starts to move, then you can panic. But right now? There are enough _other kids_ that need help that I think you can deal with _them_ , thanks."

"Pretty sure Katie has a concussion," Clint said, sounding stressed as he inspected where the blood had matted Kate's hair, even though she was trying to bat him away and point out that James had it worse - which wasn't a great argument to make when she couldn't heal or when Hank chose Kate to assess first.

"I'm fine," Mia said, trying to fluff up the section of fur on her arm that had been singed and totally downplaying the cut under her eye, though that seemed to be a theme as Tommy squinted out of a rapidly swelling black eye pretending like that was perfectly normal for him.

In fact, if anything, besides James, Nate and Kate were the worst off, which meant Rachel was already fretting over Nate and hissing at him to _be more careful_ , since this was the second mission he'd gotten hurt on and there was no way he'd be allowed to play football until his head stopped looking like he'd been in a _fight._

James _was_ cringing away from being touched at all - especially when anyone tried to touch his hands or arms, all while muttering that he was fine and ignoring the blood at his ears - and just about everywhere else. He was just too hurt for them to believe and too young to believably blow it off like Logan would have, though he was still trying all the same. But that only had Hank gently trying to assess his _other_ injuries first and handing him what he needed to clean up the blood from his nose, ears, and mouth. Hank was frowning as he watched James's hands shake as he concentrated on holding the supplies until Billy took over, refusing to let James wave him off.

So it really was a mark of how shaken Scott was by seeing a _Creed_ that it took him several long seconds before he tore his gaze away from the unconscious blond - and Jan - and slipped over to where James was, wincing in sympathy before he'd even sat down. "What's broken?" he asked.

"I don't know at this point. A lot," James answered frankly, unable to keep the growl out of his tone for as much as he was hurting. "My claws are gone, too."

There was a full beat of silence from Scott as he processed that. "...gone?"

"He snapped them off," James answered. "I didn't even mean to _use_ them."

"Snapped them…" Scott locked down his jaw, doing his level best not to pick his family up and move _on the spot_. Because, God help him, this was too familiar.

"Pretty sure they're trying to re-grow," James said. "If what it _feels like_ is any marker. Just not the priority yet."

Scott's jaw looked like it wasn't going to come unlocked anytime soon, and even Ororo's eyes were starting to flash, so Rachel stepped in before either of them could get any _more_ lost in what had happened to their old team.

"He was being controlled," she said. Then, when she caught both of them staring at her, she bit her lip. "I just… before you get too mad at him, you should know… I looked in his mind, and he was _not_ the one pulling the strings." Something fiery flashed in her eyes. "He's the only mutant we managed to _save_ today."

"He definitely didn't react like a normal person," James agreed. "He didn't - or couldn't - answer anything. All he could say was just the same threats over and over."

"Did anything he had to say give any clues on who was pulling the strings?" Steve asked.

James shook his head at that. "No, I think the boots on the ground in black were a bigger tip off." He turned to watch Billy, unwilling to be the one to say what Billy had done. "But I can't give you more than that. They had no indicators on who they represented."

"I'm on it," Natasha said and slipped out of the room, looking furious enough that no one was going to stop her even to offer help.

"Well, uh, Billy magicked them into Grandfather's prisons, so we'll _proooooobably_ know more things soon enough," Tommy pointed out.

"They were asking for it," Billy said, entirely unapologetic.

James nodded, trying not to lose the even and serious expression. "Yeah, I saw the tear on the hem of your cape. How dare."

Scott pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is exactly what I was worried about," he muttered under his breath.

"Dad, we're alright," Nate said - his point belied by the fact that the bump on his head was getting steadily more discolored. "Besides, you're the one that taught us how to defend ourselves. Specifically if we ran into this _kind_ of problem, too."

"Um," Tommy said, holding up one finger. "We _obviously_ didn't get all the same kinds of classes in that. And I _need_ the recording of that big brawl for my own purposes. To _learn_."

"I think I get it now," James told Billy quietly. "How that story happened that you were telling me about? Totally get it."

"You mean wishing him away?" Billy asked softly, and when James nodded, so did Billy, though he had to point out something important. Particularly since Billy was still mad. " _You_ are going to have to apologize and explain yourself, you know."

James had just started to agree when the blonde took in a sharp breath and everyone nearest him jumped back away from him. The blonde scrambled backward, obviously terrified at the odd surroundings and unfamiliar faces. And amazingly, James leaned forward as he watched him scramble. The guy was believably terrified as he looked from one famous face to the next - then shifted his focus to the kids. Though he looked even more confused at that and he stopped outright when he focused on James.

" _You._ Why did you … _why would you do that_?" he blurted out.

"Question of the day from everyone, see?" Tommy said, starting to grin, even if the adults in the room were dead serious.

"Got him to _stop_ , didn't it?" James shot back.

"Because no one expects to be kissed in battle like being beaten up is an _aphrodisiac_ ," Kate sang out, slightly louder than she meant to because the adrenaline comedown and the concussion was starting to show.

"Told you he has a thing for people that are more powerful than he is," Nate said to Kate, who rewarded him with a giggle in spite of the severity of the situation.

"Oh my _God_ , I hate you both," James said, one hand over his eyes.

Scott turned to look at James, some of the lines gone from his face as a few different emotions warred for control of his expression. "You… what?"

James gestured openly. "He was taking me to a _chopper_. He just broke my claws- it was the first thing that popped into my head that I thought might _work_. So _yes_ , I kissed him. _To stop him_."

Scott very _nearly_ smiled as the rest of the adults all shared a knowing look. "You are, _so very much_ , your mother's son."

"That … is a new one," James said, frowning at Scott.

"She had a way of thinking outside the box," Scott said with a wry smile. "And I've told you before - you've got her sense of humor."

"Okay. Fine. But now I'm never going to hear the end of it from those _lunatics_ ," James said, then turned back toward Tommy and Kate. "It was just to get _away_."

"They wouldn't have been _allowed_ to leave with you," Billy said.

James' focus shifted to Billy. "You say that _now_. I didn't think anyone could get close enough to help." But their discussion was interrupted by Tommy.

"Kinda surprised we didn't have to witness a full on make out sesh after that save then. _Power surge,_ " Tommy sang out with an obnoxious grin. "You were so right, Kate."

" _Shut up_ ," James grumbled as Rachel turned toward the blond.

"Who are you?" Rachel asked as James made a face at Tommy and Billy kept splitting his focus between fretting over James and waiting for the blond to say the wrong thing so he could send him to his grandfather's prisons.

"No one important," the blond said, doing his best to look smaller than his seven foot tall frame could ever allow. "Just a dumb kid that got picked up for breathing. You know …"

"They picked you up for more than that," Clint said, shaking his head.

"I was leading a mutual group on a canoe trip," he said. "We were _camping_."

"A canoe trip?" Ororo repeated, one eyebrow arched high on her forehead.

"Yes. With other kids from my church." He held up one hand slightly. "My name is Tyler Creed, by the way. Is there any chance I can find out if my mom is still alive?"

Most of the others were still processing the phrases "church" and "camping" and "canoe trip" with a Creed, but Jan let out a little noise and darted over toward him. "Of course we can look!" she promised. "What's her name? I'll find her."

"Daisy Smith. I know, we don't have the same last name" Tyler shrugged. "It's a horrible story, and I'd rather not repeat it, if it's all the same. It's _her_ story anyhow."

Ororo's mouth was pressed in a thin line. "We can guess," she said simply. Then, taking a step forward, she said, "But what we cannot do is guess what _your_ story is. What can you tell us about how you came to be here?"

"Right," Tyler said, nodding to himself. "I don't … actually remember too much," he said. "One minute we were camping - and I thought I heard some helicopters, but it was dark and it never got too loud .. oh, my hearing is really good? But I still couldn't hear them very well. Anyhow … one second we were making s'mores and telling stories at the fire an the next … we had guns in our faces by these soldiers in black. They shot me and dragged me off - they took a few of the others too. I know that because … those people are horrible."

"Go on," Hank said, watching him with his arms crossed.

Tyler looked around the room, his gaze hesitating on the ladies among them. "It's not polite to say all that they did to me, but … it was awful. And when I wouldn't _hurt people_ … they held me down and put something in my head." Tyler's face contorted at the memory. "I only remember little bits after that. Like I was watching through a TV or something, even though I could smell everything and I could hear people screaming sometimes ... "

"You don't remember _anything_ after they took you?"

Tyler gestured to James. "That kiss was the first thing I've reacted to _myself_ since they put that thing in my head." His hand drifted up to the back of his head.

"What are you talking about?" Tony interjected looking serious.

"I'm not sure what it was, but it was covered in blood," Rachel said.

"I sent it to James' lab," Billy said with a little shrug.

"Yeah, no," Tony said. "He's not touching that thing - whatever it was."

"I can _look_ at it," James argued, but Tony looked a little too stressed out to argue with. "Or .. not."

"How'd you get it out, anyhow?" Tyler asked Rachel.

"That was me," Billy said, waving the tips of his fingers. "Reactionary spell just before I sent the soldiers to my grandfather's prisons." He looked over to meet Scott's gaze, his hands up when he saw the sharp expression Scott was wearing. "They has just killed those kids. I … lost my temper."

"That was _not_ you losing your temper," Tommy said - always happy to bust someone out.

"Yes it was," Billy argued with a frown, but Tommy just laughed.

"If you'd lost your temper, you would have _wished them out of existence_ ," Tommy said, smirking crookedly. "Or did you wish them away and you're _saying_ they're in Grandfather's prisons?"

"You can do that?" Tyler asked, wide eyed as he stared at Billy.

"Oh. _You_ wouldn't have gotten off that easy," Tommy said, which had Billy joining James at giving him a dirty look.

"Don't make it sound so ominous," James grumbled. "You're exaggerating."

"Not really," Tommy argued quietly, though he left it alone for the time being. Obviously Billy's boyfriend was _delusional_.

"Well, however you got it out - _thank you_ ," Tyler said. "I just … I want to go back to living my life."

"That's … probably not possible," James said. "You're on their radar - they probably won't just forget you exist."

"They might," Tyler said, looking hopeful, but James shook his head slowly. "I don't think they even know what I can do."

"You're a _feral_ ," Ororo said. "The department has always prized those endowed with your gifts."

"No, right, I know," Tyler said. "But that's not all I do." He held up one hand and gently rested it on Nate's arm.

Scott began to rush forward, but Nate was quick to project _loudly_ to him to wait. _I'm keeping an eye on things, Dad. If he so much as thinks too hard about doing something he shouldn't -_

 _You don't know …. That's Sabretooth's_ son _, Nate._

 _And Rachel is watching too,_ Nate promised. _Look at her._

Scott looked over to Rachel, who was on alert with fire in the centers of her pupils. But that wasn't exactly relaxing or reassuring to Scott.

A moment or two later, it was obvious that Tyler was concentrating, and for an instant Nate closed his eyes and ended up taking a step backward as the knot on his head disappeared. Tyler barely thought about it after he let go of Nate and stepped forward to offer Kate his hand. "That concussion won't take long to fix … and I can check to make sure you don't have anything _else_ wrong while you're concussed."

"You _heal_ ," Steve said, looking shocked. "Not … just yourself … you heal others."

"Well, I thought my healing was pretty good," Tyler said. "I'm way faster than everyone else, anyhow."

"Good, then you can help my boyfriend after you trashed him," Billy said, waving Tyler over. "Just keep your lips to yourself."

"Yeah, not really my type," Tyler said with a smirk. "But it totally woke me up, so I guess … thanks?"

"Never again," James swore as Tyler rested a hand on James' shoulder and his other hand on his wrist, though James was still flinching at even being touched. But that fell to the wayside quickly when Tyler very nearly dropped James' arm.

"Wow," he said, blinking and already looking like he'd run a sprint. "That … you're like fighting a white water rapid."

"I don't know what that means," James said as Nate turned to his dad and said 'I'm starving.'

"It means … most people are like working with a trickle of water … something I can redirect and make heal faster than they're used to," Tyler said. "You? It's like trying to swim upstream in a class five white water river or … going against a rip tide." He blinked at James. "I've _never_ seen anyone even _close_ to that before."

"It's fine, I'll heal up on my own," James said as he squeezed Billy's hand. "Like I always do."

Tyler paused and offered James his hand again. "I _could_ tell your medics what you broke though. If I'm fast."

"Please," Hank said, entranced with watching Tyler work, though once Tyler started on the list, he began to turn more and more red as he saw what kind of damage he'd caused.

 _What's the story?_ Scott projected out, not at all surprised that Nate and Rachel both were still listening for him.

 _As far as I can dig into his head? Exactly what he's telling you_ , Rachel replied. _They were using him for … whatever, and though he can remember a few flashes, there isn't really_ anything _that's useful to say what he did or what was done to him or what kinds of things they used him for._

 _I'll talk to him,_ Scott told her as he looked Nate over for any injury- though even some of the older bruises he'd been sporting seemed to be gone entirely. _He needs to understand what he's facing._

 _And Kate could really use a buddy that can undo her Hawkeye-ness,_ Nate added. The three of them turned to listen to what Tyler was telling Hank - a whole laundry list of broken bones and injured organs along with his confusion on the claws in James' arms.

"It feels like there should be something there, but it's not," Tyler said, staring at James wide-eyed. "Is that part of _your_ mutation?"

"You mean aside from not letting healers heal me?" James asked, then nodded. "Yeah. I know what you're missing. Based on what I know about my powerset, they'll grow back."

"Your _bones?"_

"They don't call it a 'regenerative' healing factor for nothin'," James pointed out. "It _should_ grow back, and if not? Oh _darn_."

"Is there anything that's out of place?" Hank asked, gently re-directing Tyler's attention.

"I mean … some, but I could feel it moving as I was trying to look," he said.

"Then I'm afraid, Mr. Maximoff," Hank said as he stepped in and took a gentle hold on James' arm. "I'm going to insist that our young Mr. Howlett be redirected to medical intervention."

"It will heal-"

"I swear to you, James," Hank said in a growl. "If you tell me that it will heal on its own, I will pummel you about the head and shoulders. Do not impede my ability to perform my duties."

"Hard to do that when you're so quick about it," James said as he gave Billy a wry smile. "Come see me when you find out what the story is?"

"Are you going to apologize?"

"Deeply and sincerely. But I can't do that in front of an audience," James shot back with a troublemaking smile. "I'll get _grounded_ again."

" _Why are you like this?_ " Nate called out.

"Head trauma, according to the new guy," James called back, which left the rest of the team smiling as Tyler made his way around them all to patch them up.

And as soon as the kids were all being attended to - and had drifted away from Tyler, Scott made his way over to break the bad news to him.

"You're not going to be able to just go back to your old life," Scott told him quietly once he was away from the others. "They found you when no one knew you were a feral mutant. They used you _successfully_. They won't let this drop."

"They could …"

Scott shook his head. "They won't. But … we can help you to be more safe."

"But ... " Tyler looked more upset not that he was alone with Scott and Steve. "... I was supposed to go to _college_. I was going to try to get into medical school - you know, so I can learn how to help the things that my powers _don't_ repair. I can't … I ... " Tyler looked visibly stressed as his voice cracked and he lost all of his bluster. "Can I please call my mom now?" he asked in a quiet tone. "I need to know if she's okay. Please."

"Of course," Steve agreed as he gestured for Tyler to follow him. "But Scott's right. You can't go back to your old life. It's too dangerous for your family. And as far as the schooling goes, we can help you figure something out. In the meantime … you'll need to find a place to stay."

"Like a halfway home for kidnapped mutants-turned-weapons?" Tyler asked, sounding as if that was a horrible idea. "I remember what happened to the X-Men. I'd rather not put a target on my back like they did."

The comment was enough to stop Scott in his tracks, and he shook his head before starting up behind the two of them. How was it that this kid - who was only a little older than Rachel - _got it_ when his own kids were pushing to do _more_ with the X-Men and painting the targets on their backs with neon, glow in the dark paint heavier and heavier every day?

Before Scott could form a thought in the kids' defense, Steve was already on it. "First of all, that's exactly why the kids re-started the X-Men. Because right now, there's very little stopping those weapons programs and others from doing to others what was done to you. And it needs to stop. It never should have happened to begin with."

"Okay, yeah, I can agree with that," Tyler said, looking almost sheepish for his initial outlook on the X-Men. There was a beat of silence before Tyler asked another important question. "I'm not going to be allowed to go to that school in Westchester, am I?"

Steve looked over his shoulder at Scott, then recomposed himself quickly. "We'll talk it over with Storm - she's the headmistress there - but I think until we figure out what's going on with that device, I think it's best if you stay in a more secure place."

"So… your'e going to lock me up," Tyler said, nodding slowly.

"No," Steve said, shaking his head. "We'll give you a room here - and we'll figure out how we're going to get you in school _safely_. We're actually pretty good at that."

"But first," Scott said, interrupting them. "You really should talk to your mother. It's possible she might need a relocation too."


	54. Keeping Secrets

The soldiers that Billy had sent to the prisons of Genosha had been _far_ more loose-lipped once Erik and his men got started on ferreting out their secrets - and when Erik heard that the men had been given orders initially to _only_ grab James and Rachel, Erik hadn't been surprised in the least.

However … it seemed that their superiors figured out quickly enough who William and Thomas were after seeing what they could _do_ with the team - and the twins were now close to the top of several secret government agencies watch lists. If it wasn't so damned dangerous for them, Erik would have been proud to hear it. But it posed a nasty problem that Erik needed to attend to sooner than later.

He needed his grandsons safe sooner than later by any means necessary, which meant he needed them _home_. And Erik was very sure he knew how to get at least _one_ of his grandsons to turn his back on the world at large. He simply needed to approach things properly and use the proper bait.

He waited until he knew that the boy would be alone before he made his appearance. He was far more gentle this time when he peeled open the metal surrounding the windows of the high rise lab overlooking the city. As before, papers swirled and plants swayed in the wind until Erik re-sealed the glass magnetically, then barred the door so their conversation could be mostly private.

 _Mostly_ because young James Howlett was rarely alone these days as he worked in the admittedly impressive lab. Erik touched down and looped the end of his cape over his arm as he walked toward him. "Mr. Howlett," Erik said with a clearly put on smile. "I wonder if you might have a moment for a civil conversation."

James had sworn to himself when the wall cracked open, and then steadfastly went back to work, determined to ignore _Magneto_ for as long as possible. "I'm not thoroughly convinced that any conversation that starts with someone removing my windows could be civil," James said. "But I suppose since you're already here .."

Erik did his best to keep his relaxed stance. "Yes, well, you'll forgive my entrance. I wanted to be sure I could speak to you one on one."

James looked up at him from the other side of his bench, barely slowing down as he kept working. "Must be something big if you want to talk to me this badly. I know you've got other, more conventional means of having a conversation."

"Yes, all of which would leave me without a reasonable way to see your reactions and leave you without the ability to know that I was telling you the truth."

James stopped what he was doing since he'd been pretty sure from the start that Magneto couldn't have cared less if James knew he was lying or not. "Alright," he said slowly.

Erik made his way over to the bench with a politically pleasant smile. "As I understand it, you had a rather rough mission recently." James didn't reply more than to nod his head in agreement, even if he knew there was no way Erik gave a damn about how rough he'd had things. "The soldiers that William sent were woefully uninformed of what they were walking into - both when facing your team and when they arrived in my prison."

"Can't say that I'll weep over them," James said, which was the right angle to take, since Erik seemed pleased to hear it from him.

"Good," Erik said warmly. "I was afraid you might have been under the influence of the Avengers for long enough that you might not recognize real justice when it presented itself."

James met Erik's gaze. "They tried to kill my team and they _did_ kill the bait they'd used to get us there. They don't deserve pity."

Erik's smile widened slightly as he rested both hands on the bench, palms down. "James, my boy," Erik said warmly, though it sent a chill down James' neck. "The information I extracted from those soldiers will be on Ms. Munroe's desk tomorrow morning, but I could _not_ wait for her to sit through it and come to her conclusions before I spoke with you about it."

"You know I'm not the team leader, right?" James asked, though he really didn't want Rachel to be forced to deal with whatever this was.

"Yes, I know," Erik said, smiling warmer. "But this isn't necessarily a team concern. This is about my grandson." As Erik expected, James had far to go in learning how to control his expressions, and it was clear in a heartbeat that James was alarmed to hear that any group might know something about Billy. "I know that you would go to extreme lengths to keep him safe, but he's not the only one I need to watch out for."

"If you think I'd let anything happen to Tommy either -"

"No, no, not Thomas. I know you'd do all you could to keep William's circle protected. And so will I," he said, holding James' gaze for emphasis. "Though I never would have seen it coming, for now, William has chosen you to stay at his side as his _companion_ , and because of that, I would be remiss to ignore the tremendous target that you were _born_ with."

"It never concerned you before," James said, not trusting for a second whatever angle this was. It also didn't miss his notice the wording Erik had obviously carefully chosen.

"That's simply not true, James," Erik replied in a rich tone, but his scent didn't exactly line up with a full truth.

"Still … new concerns and all … I'm fine."

"Yes, I'm sure. You're simply lucky that you have such protective friends. But … I should have been more clear years ago when I offered your father a spot on Genosha. _All_ of you children would be far safer there away from these weapons programs that I can promise you - _will not back down_. For your own sake - and for my grandsons- see the sense in what I am offering."

"To be fair, we're not sure what they'd want any of us for," James pointed out. "But I do agree they are a threat."

"Ah. Well. I'm sure the Avengers are simply trying to shelter you from what those programs would like to do. It's all laid out, my boy. All they need is the mutant to fill the position." He produced a small tablet from under his cape and gingerly handed it to James - already keyed up with the scanned files that Erik had retrieved on what _exactly_ several programs had in mind for him, personally. "At the rate you're all going, _this_ is just a matter of time."

James glanced up at him, and on Erik's prompting, he started scrolling through the intel that he had - for the first time seeing the unfiltered version rather than that which Natasha had already okayed. And the details on what they had in mind was precise, down to a chart that they'd devised to guess with _stunning_ accuracy how much James weighed now … and how much to dose him with to subdue him. From there, the details showed the kinds of controls and plans they had in mind for him. "What … what do you want?"

"To offer you safe haven."

James forced himself to look up from the tablet, the meaning behind what Erik was offering just starting to truly sink in. "You want us to go to Genosha to _stay_?"

"Yes," Erik said, sounding perfectly reasonable and relieved. "That is exactly what I'd like to see happen."

" _All_ of us."

"Of course."

"But not Kate."

Erik blinked for a moment. He had expected James to be more single focused - like his father. Had that been the case, using Billy or his family as the carrot should have been more than enough. "I was more concerned with your _family_ rather than loose friends."

"Kate _is_ my family," James said. "We grew up together. She and Nate have been head over heels for each other for _years_. She's as much a part of the Summers family as I am. If _she's_ not safe too, it's not an option." When it looked like Erik didn't know how to respond, James hit him with something he really wasn't expecting. "Besides, she's one of Billy's best friends. Honestly both Kate _and_ America. Neither of them would be welcome in Genosha and that would be _gutting_ Billy's circle of friends."

"You're missing the big picture, young man. You are without your primary defenses. Your claws are _gone_ -"

"I didn't tell you that," James said, but Erik didn't slow down, and he didn't even indicate that he'd heard James as he cut across him.

"-you _cannot expect to be of any use_ in protecting William if you can't even protect yourself! I will make concessions to keep you safe for _his sake_ , but when I do, you will learn _quickly_ to do as I say."

Erik had started to levitate, but James remained calm. "I think I do just fine protecting myself," James said. "The comms and panic buttons the team uses - the ones integrated into the uniforms … that was _my_ work. Same with my brother's weapons."

"Perhaps I'm not being as clear as I should be to one who is supposed to be a genius. I've _shown_ you what they have in store for you, but you're too stubborn to see how that could be advantageous to _me_ as much as it would be to them. I'm _trying to_ allow you to choose for yourself, but if they were to pick you up … instead of intervening, if I were to simply _wait_ and allow them to proceed, it won't be _them_ you'll have to serve. I will use that metal against you once it has replaced your bones. I know you're smart enough to know how this will eventually play out. But for now … I'll have to make do."

James was holding Erik's gaze when Erik held his hands out and then frowned to himself when nothing happened.

James however, tipped his chin up and put his hands in his front pockets as he watched Erik search out whatever metal he could find, but instead of challenging him in a manner that Erik was accustomed to, James took a different route entirely and gestured to the lab around them. "I'm an inventor. That _is_ what I do, as I'm sure you already know," James said. "You didn't get a very good look at my lab the last time you stopped in. But since you want to discuss taking me out of here, feel free to take a look around. You _did_ ask me where your labs were lacking on Genosha, and I regret to inform you that there isn't a lab in the _world_ that will measure up to what I have here."

Erik was frowning deeper as he actively searched with his powers to try and isolate some metal - _any_ metal - while he walked through the lab - at least until he saw the Iron Man armor James had laid out on a work bench and realized he couldn't _move_ it. At all. In fact. The only bit of metal Erik found _in_ the lab was a small piece of titanium that was part of a larger device on James' desk. Erik blinked to himself and then turned where he stood taking in the details he'd missed in his anger. On nearly every work bench were pieces of Avenger's uniforms and gadgets in various stages of completion. Falcon's wings were spread out on one bench with little more than an access panel to be closed - Stark's armor was the most involved with several circuit boards exposed, but Wasp's wings, belt, and helmet were complete and displayed on a model waiting to be used. And none of it contained anything that Erik could manipulate.

"I've made some improvements since you trashed the place," James said as he held Erik's gaze unblinking. "I do not want or need _anything_ to do with adamantium in or around my body. Regardless of what anyone has planned for me."

But that had Erik turning on him, fuming far worse than James had seen before, practically growling when he spoke through gritted teeth. "You're giving the Avengers weapons to use _against me_?"

James stood his ground as Erik floated closer. "No. I'm giving them the means to be _safe_. The Avengers are my family, too. I'm pretty damn lucky to be able to say that Iron Man and Captain America are my uncles. They both taught me right from wrong alongside my dad, but don't for one second think that I'm turning my back on mutants."

"You are if you're arming Avengers to _fight me_ ," Erik said. "You should be standing with your own kind! Instead, you're choosing your own extinction."

"That's exactly the kind of talk I never thought I'd hear from a holocaust survivor," James said, though he'd have been lying through his teeth if he'd told anyone he wasn't scared of what Magneto might do in that moment. "You _could_ unite _everyone_ , but that isn't what you want. You just want to have the same power to use over others that was once used against you." The doors to the lab rattled, but James didn't look toward them. "Go ahead. You have a choice: you can pull the metal out of the locks in the door, or the structure of the building. I know I can't keep it away from you entirely. But if you do that, you will let them in. Or, you can say whatever it is you _really_ want to say to me where no one will ever hear you. I won't tell anyone. Even Billy. So please, if you have something to say, or a specific threat to make - go ahead. I'll keep it between us."

Erik considered him as the pounding at the door continued. "The only thing keeping me from killing you now is my grandson," Erik said in an icy tone. "The moment he decides he's had enough of the _novelty_ , I will personally make sure you regret every choice you've made in your soon to be _very_ short life."

"But _I'm_ the animal. For Billy's sake and yours, I hope _your_ last days are happy and surrounded by family. I have no desire to see anything bad happen to you," James replied. "But in the event that things do end between Billy and I - when you come for me, you better bring back up, because I'll be ready for you and I won't make it easy. Even for an old man."

Erik sneered and turned to leave. "This isn't a game, young man. You cannot win simply by defending and hiding. The rules of engagement are not the same in life as they are a chess board."

"No, they're not," James agreed as Erik reached the windows. "But in this, _you're_ the white on the board. There doesn't have to be a game at all if you don't start the attack." When Erik turned with a bemused look, James continued. "Believe it or not, I admire what you've done with Genosha. It was probably the right call at the time, but now? The professor's dream is the right call, and we all have agreed to fight for _that_."

For a moment, Erik held his gaze thoughtfully, then turned, once again removing the windows by the metal seals so he could exit the way he'd arrived. Though instead of replacing them as he'd done before, he slammed them back into place, shattering them and leaving James with a mess of broken glass and twisted window frames a moment before the doors unlocked.

Tony, Rachel, and America tumbled in ready to fight, but by then, James was already reaching for a broom to start sweeping glass. "I'm fine, thanks," James said. "Sorry for the mess. I guess I need windows again."

"And to move your equipment again," Tony said. "Is this going to be a recurring problem?"

James shrugged. "The way it's going? Probably."

"What did he say?" Rachel asked, watching James closely.

"Nothing special," James replied. "It was a direct approach with a buy line of 'move to Genosha now - or else'."

"I take it you said 'no'," Tony said, frowning at the hole in the wall.

"What on Earth would make you say that?" James said dryly before he sighed heavily. "Of course I said no. I didn't give him the why. Not his business unless things get more serious with Billy, and then it's going to be a matter of what Billy wants to tell him."

"Which right now probably means everything," Rachel said as she reached out to brush James' mind. She was wildly curious about what he was thinking and what had been said. But as had been the case lately, she was met with a brick wall that seemed sturdier now than it had been before, which meant that not only was he blocking her out naturally, he was _actively_ blocking her, even after she'd made an incredibly iron-clad argument for him to _open up to her_. So she knew that whatever had been said had to have been bad. "James -"

"I'm fine, Rach," James said, one hand over his heart as he forced himself to relax. "Honestly."

"You're a terrible liar," America said.

"Thanks for that. Love you too, Chavez," James replied.

"Just keeping you in check," America replied with a smirk, though she was looking around the room, too.

"Did he take anything?" Tony asked when it seemed most of the room was in order.

"He's not a thief," James said. "But no. If he couldn't pick it up and carry it without having to hold it, he wouldn't likely be interested. And he couldn't pick up much here." James thought about it for a moment, and pointedly looked toward the tablet Magneto had left behind. "He _gave_ me something actually."

"And?"

"He's a little in his feelings because I'm giving you guys non-metallic components. Accused me of making weapons when clearly - that's not the case yet. But if I'm going to be accused of it ..."

"I _told you_ I could finish it in my lab," Tony said, but James shook his head.

"My idea, my project - all the materials and components were here. I didn't have a reason to think he'd be that touchy about _my_ projects in _my_ lab, and even if I thought he might, it's my lab, not his," James said. "It's fine, he is just under the delusion that … well, I'm not sure what. There was a lot of delusion going on. I'm not going to compartmentalize it."

Tony took a moment to stop James from what he was doing, then pulled the kid over into a tight hug that he didn't even consider letting up on until James returned the hug properly. "Hey. We're all here for you."

"I know. Love you too."

Tony rested his hand on the side of James' neck to make sure the kid focused on him. "You gonna tell me what went down?"

"He was just making sure I knew how much he wants to keep the twins safe."

"That's … a pretty big thing considering the last mission you ran."

"It's fine. We've got an understanding," James said, even if he couldn't force a smile.

Tony held his breath then nodded to himself. He could _see_ he wasn't going to get it out of James when James was so clearly bending over backward to protect those around him. "Alright." He squeezed James' shoulder as he looked around again. "I'll get this taken care of. Probably a good time to take a breather."

"Are you sure?" James asked, looking around them. "Kinda feel like I need to finish up a few more of these sooner than later."

"I'll move them to my lab. I'll help you finish them." Tony gestured to Rachel. "Go on. It's fine. Pretty sure your sister wants to corner you for twenty questions, so if you don't _choose_ to go, I'll have no choice but to let your dad know you're delirious and make sure Rachel drives you two home."

"Yikes, got it. See you tomorrow," James agreed as Rachel rolled her eyes, though she _did_ look relieved to pull James along with her.

"Just go straight to my lab in the morning." Tony smiled as he watched them go, but America didn't leave, instead half-nudging the broken glass that was shattered across the floor.

"Why you pushing them out so fast?" America asked as Tony frowned, glaring around the room.

"No reason," Tony said before he headed for a cabinet in the far corner of the lab. It was one that James rarely used, and in fact, Tony had chosen it specifically for that reason. Inside, behind a few manuals and books, there was a small device that opened up to spit out a flash drive. Tony took it out and put a new flash drive in before he closed it up and put the books back in place. He started toward his lab with America on his heels. He was halfway there when he took out his cell phone and dialed Scott up. "Hey. Kids are coming home early. We had a Magneto issue here today. If you have a minute, I've got he video surveillance of what happened." He turned to America. "Don't suppose I could bribe you into getting Cyclops here, could I?"

"Usually I'd ask for payment up front," America said. "So you better be good for it."

"Look who you're talkin' to," Tony said, frowning at her as if she'd lost her mind. "I'll just give him a warning -"

"Too slow," America replied before she kicked a star-shaped hole into reality to usher Scott to them.

Tony held up the flash drive. "Hi, honey. I got surveillance on the _Magneto attack_ that just happened. We _both_ need to know what went down before we get actual time with that kid again."

Scott's eyes flashed. "Magneto?" he repeated, taking in the shattered glass and the otherwise normal state of the lab with new understanding.

"Yep, and the kid isn't talking - shocking no one." Tony waved Scott over. "This time though, I had surveillance wired to record if the windows were tampered with. They were alone, so no one to give us a run down like last time."

"Then it's a good thing you wired it," Scott said, nodding along.

"Let's see it," America broke in impatiently. "You two can bask in each other's overprotectiveness later. I wanna know how many bones to break."

Tony didn't argue it as he pulled up the file and let it play, relieved that nothing had happened to the tech or the recording device in the process. And it picked up from the moment the seals on the window were tampered with.

By the time the footage had played out, Scott's jaw was locked, and America had a slight glow to her eyes - her powers drew from emotion, and she was angry enough that it was spilling over. "I'll deal with this," Scott said at last, through his teeth.

"What are you thinking?"

"I've already talked to my brother about coming back to Genosha," Scott said. "Some of the old X-Men and I have been quietly keeping tabs on Magneto."

"What can I do to help?" Tony asked. "Tell me what you need."

"I need non-metallic weapons," Scott said without hesitating.

"That's been the kid's focus for a long time now."

"I know, but I'm asking you. I don't want something he's seen in this lab; I don't want him to connect it back to James if he sees it," Scott clarified.

"Yeah, I figured as much - just wanted to point out we've got plenty to work with. He's been working up new materials. I had _hoped_ it was just an overabundance of caution. Didn't realize he was up to verbal _sparring_."

"I'd hoped things hadn't gotten this bad with Magneto," Scott admitted. "He and the professor always tried to work things out. For the sake of that memory, I'd _hoped_ he'd get a grip."

Tony looked thoughtful for a long moment. "Any thoughts on how to deal with the kid? I already told him I'm moving his projects - _and him_ \- to my lab."

"I'll tell his boyfriend," America said simply, one eyebrow raised. "If you think a horrified, worried Billy won't keep James distracted while you two deal with the problem…"

"Which part would he be more horrified at?" Tony asked. "The part where grumpy grandpa is threatening the boyfriend or the part where the boyfriend is telling him to bring it?"

"Yes." America leaned against the wall with one foot kicked up. "What you boys fail to understand here is that this isn't the first time one of Billy's boyfriends has been threatened. In fact according to Tommy, every ex that did him dirty _mysteriously_ vanished. Even the ones that didn't do him dirty. Put the clues together, _chicos_. It's not an empty threat. And Billy knows it; he just doesn't want to believe it without definitive proof." She gestured to the computer. "Which is what you have right there."

"We have proof of _threats_ ," Tony said. "As much as I hate defending Magneto in the realm of murder, we don't really know how to prove what happened to the exes." He turned back to Scott. "The older James gets, the more he's sounding like his parents when it comes to threats. But if you think you can open Billy's eyes ..."

"I think if we can show him the threats, he'll be smart enough to put two and two together," Scott said. "He's Vision's son."

Tony gestured openly. "Alright then. Miss America - you know Billy best."

"Great." America clapped her hands together, rubbed them, and then kicked another star-shaped hole in reality, yanking Billy and Kate out of their video game to join the three of them in James' lab.

"Oh, was there another burrito-ing?" Kate asked, wrinkling her nose as soon as she saw where they were.

"Hard to do when there was no metal within reasonable reach," Tony said. He waved both teenagers over. "Come on kids, we've got a little movie for you." As they made their way over, both of them looking a little confused, Tony set it up again then stepped back with his arms crossed over his chest.

Billy had one hand over his mouth, but Kate, to everyone's surprise, looked _delighted_. "Oh, look at him giving it to Grandpa Evil," she said. "I'm so proud." She nudged Billy. "C'mon. It's always fun to watch him work, isn't it?"

Billy shook his head, his eyes narrowed as he stared at the screen. "He didn't tell me it was this… blatant."

"Which one?" Tony asked. "Because James _wouldn't._ He'd try to cope on his own."

"He was trying to protect _you_ ," America said in an exasperated sigh. "He knows you love your family - even Magneto. He doesn't want to step on that."

"Yeah, but I love _him_ too," Billy said, finally moving from shocked to angry as he gestured toward the screen. "And I don't want him dead - or staying with me so he doesn't get _murdered_."

"Oh, no worries there," Kate snorted. "You saw him."

"If he was intimidated, he'd have called it by now," Tony said. "Sounded to me like he's leaving it to you and prepared to face off if _you_ tap out.." He pointed at the screen. "He's not afraid that he's going to get killed. I've seen that look enough. He's confident. Don't know if it's warranted or not, but he's confident."

Billy was floating slightly off the floor without meaning to before he turned to face Scott. "I need to check something," he said, his eyes literally alight. "But… you should know my grandfather wanted me to spy on you. And when I get back, let me tell you what he told me."

"If I'm not here when you get back, _call_ ," Scott said, knowing full well that James hadn't told Billy where they were actually living - still falling back on the safe house as 'home'.

"Fine," Billy said, then disappeared with a muttered, _Backtomyroom._ He had every intention of trying out a new spell he'd learned. He'd initially learned it so he could search for missing teammates. But now, he _needed_ to use it to search for his exes. If they were even alive.

* * *

The lab was fixed up quickly enough, and Tony once again put his security system into place without James knowing - even going so far as to reinforce it better and add more, smaller cameras just so he had _every_ angle now that he knew they worked.

The equipment was all moved back in, and several of them were humming along nicely again, but James wasn't giving them his attention at all. Not when he had so much _coursework_ to catch up on. It was a point that Tony had brought up after the incident with Magneto - that he'd been ignoring the work he had to finish so he could secure the three masters degrees that Tony had _strongly_ suggested he acquire ahead of the timeline they'd originally agreed to.

But between the time he was giving to the Avengers, the time he was investing in the X-Men, and the work he was doing for Stark Industries … he hadn't exactly fallen _behind_ … but he wasn't keeping the pace he'd set for himself _before_ he'd joined the teams. And Tony had used the incident with Magneto to remind him that he had a course set out ahead of him that Tony was relying on him to complete.

And that started with finishing his Masters in physics, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering. It wasn't something that was _needed_ immediately, but Tony had suggested that it would be a point to smooth things over when he was old enough to step in as more than just his lab assistant if he blew past Tony's _own_ education record. It didn't help that Reed Richards was quietly suggesting he turn those into doctorates and add in some extra degrees in physics ASAP, either.

So, instead of working on some of the projects he'd been tinkering on - or solving some of the problems he was anticipating on the horizon, James was focusing on getting some serious study time in. Not that Tony was complaining one bit. In fact, he was delighted to see James taking the time to _work._ He'd been working on studying all day and the evidence was piled up around him, too … stacks of books, a couple of open laptops with reference materials showing on screen, several notebooks full of trigonometry and calculus - and one with doodles- alongside a few empty coffee cups and some crumpled up take-out evidence.

He was, in fact, waiting for dinner to show - since he'd told his dad he was wrapped up in a paper that Reed Richards had written about quantum mechanics that he simply couldn't stop partway through. Not long enough to go home, anyhow. It required _focus_ and driving home, sleeping on it and driving back the next morning would be enough to make him have to restart it. A bite of pizza though … that would be enough to make sure he didn't get a migraine.

So when Billy appeared in the lab with a spell, James broke into a crooked smile when he saw him, though he barely broke from reading to flirt. "What great timing you have, little prince. Is this payback for distracting you from your test at midterms? Should I be prepared to be a disappointment to Tony?"

But Billy looked stressed as he made his way over to where James was studying. "You know, I don't even know how to answer that," he said as James finally caught wind of how _anxious_ Billy smelled.

"What's wrong?" James asked as he put the book in front of him to the side.

"Oh … you know just …." Billy ran his hands through his hair as James watched, almost wide-eyed. He'd never _seen_ him like this. Or anywhere close to it. "There's no way to do this easy …".

"You're breaking up with me," James said in a shocked but totally flat tone.

"What? _No!"_ Billy said, looking almost as shocked as James had been. "No, that's …" He let out a sigh and ran his hands through his hair again."So … I looked into it and it turns out that my grandfather's been killing all my exes, and it's kinda freaking me out." James got to his feet and made his way over to try and pull Billy into a hug, but he shrugged his shoulders up - he wasn't done yet.

"Hey …"

"I know for a _fact_ that he's been threatening _you_ , too - _and you're just letting him do it_ ," Billy said, which was more than enough to get James to stop - clearly red-handed. "So can you please, _please_ \- _please be honest with me_ about what's going on? Don't try to cushion it. Don't … lessen it because I _just found out_ that he's been murdering guys I've dated - _and I am freaking out_. I _need_ you to not hide things from me. _Especially_ this."

"Okay," James said, his shoulders relaxed as he gestured to the couch nearby. "You deserve that anyhow." He took a seat and waited for Billy to sit down. He took the far end of the couch, and though both of them were sitting sideways and facing each other, Billy's foot on the floor was jiggling, a detail that held James' attention for a few beats too long. "I'm sorry. I was just trying not to … I know how important my family is to me, and I didn't want anything to get between you and your family. It's probably a shit excuse, but it's the truth."

Billy scrubbed his hands over his face. "Why didn't you _tell me_ , though? Don't you think that it should be my decision - that I should _know_ what he's doing? What he's _said_ to you?"

"Alright, yeah," James agreed quietly. "But I'm _tired_ of everyone feeling like they need to protect me." he half heartedly gestured to the mountains of books on the bench. "I let them anyhow, but it's wearing."

"Hey, you're talking to _me_ , here. Remember how my mom literally sent us off an island so we wouldn't be stiflingly _protected_?" Billy shook his head, his gaze drifting to the stack of books. "It's just… I get that you're trying to protect me too, but it feels lopsided when I don't _know_ what the score is."

James considered him for a long moment. "Fair."

Billy's shoulders relaxed only slightly, though he finally stopped jiggling his foot. "So," he said quietly, "I guess… so that's a thing. The, um, the dead exes. That you should know about."

"I'm sorry you can't rebound backwards," James teased with a little smirk.

Billy was surprised into a quiet smile and shook his head. "Like I'd want to."

James smiled a little wider in response. "Never know …. Especially since I can only tell you things that won't blow _other_ people's secrets up. Like … that ... " he tipped his head toward the books again, but didn't turn away. "I am trying to finish my masters. Three of them … so Tony has an easier time when he gets ready to step down." He let his shoulders drop. "It's not going to happen for a while, but he's prepping me to take over the company for him when he retires to _just_ inventing. But _no one_ outside of the family knows that yet."

"Oh. Wow." Billy blinked a few times, not at all expecting that - though he almost couldn't help but think that it explained a few things his grandfather had been questioning about James' place with Stark.

He didn't think he'd let his grandfather in on that secret, though. All things considered.

"And aside from helping to raise me, that's why Tony's so territorial, and _all_ of why I'm so wrapped up in studying so hard. If you want secrets ... I have one more thing that I _can_ tell you. I didn't tell my siblings this, either," James said, looking a little more anxious. "So ...you know how I said I've been talking to Rabbi Cohen?" Billy nodded and James continued. "I asked him to be my counselor, just so I can get a viewpoint that _isn't_ superhero influenced on my crap."

Billy blinked in surprise but then, as he thought it over, slowly nodded. "Okay," he said. "I think I get that. I mean, Mom sent me to a different continent for a new viewpoint, so…." He shrugged. "I didn't drive you to therapy, though, right?"

"No," James said, shaking his head. "Had nothing to do with you. At all."

"Had to check."

"You really don't need to worry about that. When I get to a point I can tell you about it without freaking myself out, I will. But part of it was that I needed _whoever_ I talked to _not_ to know where I came from. So ..what else am I neglecting to disclose that I _can_ disclose? There _is_ more I want to tell you, but I can't yet. Not without clearance from other people."

"Um, I think the death threats and therapy, and Stark Industries plans are pretty big ones?"

"Yeah, but I figured since you knew the death threats, that part wasn't worth repeating," James said. "If you need me to say it, your grandfather really doesn't like me." He looked thoughtful a he tried to shift the mood in the room. "But … if he went after all your exes, maybe it's not that personal."

Billy shifted guiltily. "Ah… it kind of is with you. He might have… sort of… _specifically_ told me to avoid you when we first got here."

"I know, I was trying to get a smile or something. It's _always_ personal. But he's not scaring me off, so that has to count for _something_ , right? Even if it's tiny."

"Not that tiny," Billy said, breaking into a genuine smile.

"Little bit tiny," James countered as the door to the lab opened and Tony came in with a pizza in hand, and more than ready to pick.

"I thought you were studying, not _studying,_ " Tony said, before tipping his chin up toward Billy. "Hey, kiddo. You're staying for a little while aren't you?"

"Hey, you're hogging my boyfriend. And there's pizza. So… yeah. I'm sticking around," Billy said.

"You wanna stick around, you can - hell, if you can keep from distracting him too much from finishing his degrees-"

"That you and Reed keep adding to," James cut in.

"We are adding to them because you're so _good_ at the things we set in front of you," Tony said, giving James a significant look, which got James to smirk to himself at how not-sneaky Tony was.

"I just told Billy what your big plan for me is," James said. "So … you don't have to worry too much about interrupting yourself talking about the evil plans with MIT."

Tony stopped, looked toward the two of them and grinned brightly. "Not a bad deal, right? He's doing the work as easily as if it was breathing. You should _see_ what he's been coming up with for space travel … this place is going to be something else when the time comes."

"And I'll get to tease him about _him_ being the one locked up in a tower…" Billy said, grinning.

"Billy boy, that has been the case since he started getting his tutoring up here," Tony said. "So come on - grab a slice or two and you can help me figure out how to tell his dad we're moving things up - publicly anyhow."

"You can just _not_ do that so you don't kill him," James suggested. "There's no reason to announce something that won't happen for a while anyhow." But Tony was already shaking his head.

"Yeah, I mean, didn't he _just_ recover from the shock of having a Creed dropped on his kids?" Billy pointed out - still not happy about how that had turned out, even if he couldn't _really_ blame either James or Tyler for it. Especially after the Avengers and X-Men started telling tales about James' mother's out of the box thinking and on the fly problem solving. That impromptu mid-battle kiss had been James' equivalent of a knee-jerk reaction. Apparently.

Tony shook his head again, more impatiently this time. "Hey. You just said it. We just watched as a Creed got dropped on our kids - by a weapons program. Those idiots think they can snipe _my kid?_ Nope."

"He's just like this," James said quietly to Billy. "He thinks making a public spectacle since I lost the mask will help cushion things."

"At the risk of starting something… that… kind of sounds like my grandfather's logic," Billy said, already wincing as he said it.

"Hurtful," Tony said, just before he took a bite of pizza. "But I'm not doing it in a 'bow down' angle - no offense. It's more of a 'don't touch the kid. He's got connections. And besides, Jan's been drawing up your wardrobe for the announcement. Keeps waffling between something casual and a suit.'"

"Your grandfathers are _touched_ ," James said - just to get Tony to react - and he did, coughing hard and nearly falling off his chair. "Both of them."

Billy grinned brilliantly as he turned toward Tony. "He has a point, Grandpa," he said, complete with fluttering eyelashes just to mess with Tony. He'd never called him that before.

It took Tony a moment to recover, and when he finally did, he was laughing. "Alright, but I'm _keeping you_ if that's the way you want to play it." He snapped his fingers. "And I want to see Wanda's face when you tell her that."

"Before or after I tell my dad you're embracing our family with open arms?" Billy shot back.

"Yes," Tony said, nodding, and smiling wide enough his eyes were sparkling. "Whatever you want, kiddo."

"I think he's good with _us_ ," James said quietly, just for Billy to hear. "Your dad will probably be glad to hear it."

Billy nodded. "He likes having family. I know he wishes Grandfather embraced him and Alex a little more. Might as well have a better bond on this side."

"Careful, if you keep talking about him, he'll start building you a jet or something." James pulled the pizza box over just as Tony started _gushing_ to Billy now that he _could_.

Nothing was too in depth, but he was more than happy to dive in to bragging about what he had in mind for James' schooling from this point _anyhow_. Especially since that was one area that James really hadn't talked about too much with Billy. Not beyond vague mentions of what had been done already.

"Those are just the plans he and Richards have suggested," James clarified- not wanting to let Billy think that he was leaving anything out _so soon_ after their earlier discussion. "I'm not convinced the doctorate isn't overkill."

"Overkill? In our family? I'm shocked to find that there's gambling in this establishment," Billy said dryly.

"See? No such thing," Tony said. "Then your sweetheart can have a _doctor_."

"I can almost guarantee you I'll make playing doctor jokes every thirty seconds," Billy said, grinning widely.

James burst out laughing at that, then leaned over to steal a kiss. "Not that kind of doctor."

"So?"

"Alright, I can take a cue," Tony said, grabbing one last slice then left th two of them - cackling as he went.

James waited or him to leave before he leaned in to steal a long kiss with Billy. "Are we okay then?" James asked. "I don't want to screw this up over something stupid."

Billy nodded. "Yeah. Just… no more secrets, okay?"

"As soon as I can tell you anything else, I will," James promised. "Until then, I'll just be here … in my tower… I _guess_ working toward a doctorate or three ..."

"At least I know where to find you," Billy pointed out and then kissed James as they settled in to finish dinner.


	55. The Harbinger Approaches

**Note: This chapter begins a crossover event which includes characters and events from our 714 Marvel Universe, particularly Volume 42, "Horsemen." If you don't want to be spoiled for what's happening in that universe, we suggest you skip over there and catch up before coming back here. If you don't mind spoilers, well, don't say we didn't warn you. You can still read this on its own; we will provide context. But the full experience encompasses both stories.**

**Chapter 55: The Harbinger Approaches**

_Meanwhile, in the 714 Marvel Universe_

It was shortly after Apocalypse had gone from this particular universe, and Billy was still getting used to what was and was not in his reality - and definitely didn't have a handle on _not_ interfering.

Apocalypse had been sure to show Billy the worst outcomes, the kinds of places and times that were sure to leave emotional scars. And one of them was this universe where Graydon Creed had killed so many X-Men and left lasting damage on others.

And, well, Billy might not have known where he was all the time, but he did know _that_ universe wasn't the same as the one where he belonged. But he also knew that he could play a little interference, the way he had with Lily's universe when he had saved her from Sabretooth. He didn't think he _could_ stay out of interfering anymore, not after what Apocalypse had done, but at least if he kept his interference to universes that he couldn't screw up, if he looked ahead and made sure it would be the right thing…

Then again, he still wasn't one hundred percent on reality even within a set universe. So, he'd promised Teddy he wouldn't go galavanting without backup. Which meant...

"Hey, Logan, I need to borrow you."

"What for?" Logan asked without looking up from his newspaper.

"I…" Billy shook his head. "I need to stop things from spiralling out of control for our friends. And yeah, this time I know it's not our universe. And I know I'm still figuring out how to help. But… but it's bad there."

Logan dropped the newspaper just enough that he could look up at Billy properly. "Is this one I can go like this or do I need my party dress?"

"Well, you're dead there, so you really shouldn't go into the fight. Especially since it's against Magneto? So… you're fine."

"If I'm not supposed to go into the fight, the hell do you want me for?"

"To make sure everyone comes _back_ from the fight," Billy said, his eyes wide. "Because right now, it's a suicide mission."

Logan took one last sip from his coffee and set the mug down. "Let's get on with it," he said as he got to his feet. "You're sure you don't want me goin' to fight?"

"Very sure," Billy said as he started to float a bit in preparation for the jump.

Logan made his way over to him and looked up at Billy with a little frown. "What if I wanna? You gonna stop me?"

Billy gave him a dry look. "You're dead in that universe, Logan. And it took a _long_ time to get past that."

"So I got the element of surprise. Sweet."

"Logan, it's Scott that's going in," Billy said, more seriously this time. "And with no guarantee of coming out again. So I really need your help stopping _him_ , not Magneto. My grandfather's going to die in that universe no matter what we do; he's writing his own end. This is about Scott."

Logan let out a breath at that. "You really suck at lettin' people know what's up, you know that, right?"

"I'm still a work in progress, sanity-wise," Billy pointed out.

"Yeah, you're a work alright," Logan muttered.

"This Scott was there when you, K, Jubilee, Charles, Jean, _and_ Kurt all died within a few weeks of each other. So… you can imagine how he's doing."

Logan let out a low whistle at that. "How the hell'd that happen?"

"Creed and his son. Nasty combo." Billy made a face. "They weren't even _trying_ to work together."

"Musta been rotten there," Logan said. "Here, they couldn't ever figure out which way is up on their own - and together … well. Couple of raged-out crazies that couldn't get past their own egos."

"Yeah, well… it's been a while, and now that Scott's more or less raised James to a point he and the other kids are at school and their own peop- you know what, it might be easier to just take you there? Because there's a lot going on."

"Waitin' on you, princess."

Billy smirked at that. "That's right I am," he said before he simply snapped his fingers, and they both reappeared in a house in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It was in a popular area, but it still felt quiet, and inside, Scott was the only one there at the moment. The other three major scents - Rachel, Nate, and James - were old.

Scott was testing and re-testing a nonmetallic weapon that Tony had designed so that he could smuggle it into Magneto's palace without raising any alarms while he poured over some intel, clearly lost in thought. Logan watched for a long moment as Scott worked, then glanced over at Billy before he silently made his way over to get a better look at Scott's layout of maps and plans spread out on the table. He stood a few paces behind him and simply looked it over, figuring out what it was that Scott had in mind. It looked like Scott was going for isolation and surprise in Magneto's own palace, and when Logan realized exactly what it _looked_ like he was up to, he just couldn't stop himself. "Now _that_ is a shit plan, Scooter," Logan rumbled out. "Probably the dumbest damn thing you've ever cobbed together."

For just a second, Scott froze, and then, he looked over his shoulder at Logan with an expression of open _disbelief_. "What the hell…" He was already scanning Logan with cybernetic eyes, but the scans showed _adamantium_ , which wouldn't have shown up for a shapeshifter. But that wasn't actually possible...

"You're the one that's stoppin' at Plan 743 instead of whatever the hell you'd come up with to keep goin."

Scott blinked once and then got to his feet _fast_ , with a long blade in his hand extended in Logan's direction. "Get the hell out of my house."

Logan looked shocked for a split second as he took in the treble scars across Scott's face, but he recovered quickly. With a chuff, he turned his back, headed to the refrigerator, and took a beer out of the back, then cracked it open and leaned against the fridge. "Make me." He couldn't quite come up with anything wittier when he was trying to figure out what the hell had _happened._

"What is this, some telepathic trick?" Scott said, his eyes narrowed. That was the only explanation he could come up with when all of his scans showed that this was _Logan_.

"Yeah, cause _that's_ my strong point," Logan said, shaking his head. He tried to refrain, but he ended up gesturing to Scott's face all the same. "The hell happened? Can't think of anything you coulda done to get me that ticked off. Not narrow enough for anyone else I know."

"Long story," Scott said, waving in irritation.

Logan narrowed his eyes and gestured to Scott's maps. "We got time. Especially if this is the best you can do." Logan paused, then offered Scott the beer in his hand. "You prolly need this more than I do right now."

Scott sighed as he took it. "I'm not sure what to tell you, since I'm not sure where you came from."

"Other-dimensional visitors," Billy put in, waving a hand. "Hi."

Scott finally seemed to take Billy in, and that started a whole new round of suspicion. " _Billy_?"

Billy grinned. "Not yours, but close. Hi, by the way. Again."

"Hello," Scott said shortly, still openly scanning Billy. "And what are _you_ doing here?"

"Oh, I hop dimensions," Billy said, shrugging. "Yours can't do that. I mean, he can, but not… not the way I do it." He rubbed a hand through his hair; he used to be more suave and assured in his powers before Apocalypse messed with him. "I'm sort of like an interdimensional ambulance driver, I guess. Trying to fix what I can in universes where interfering won't make things even worse than they already are."

"He only comes out to play when someone's gonna do something irretrievably stupid," Logan said before he pointed to the table and Scott's plans. "Looks like you hit the jackpot."

Scott watched both of them and then decided against arguing his plan. He didn't want to get into it with Logan when he hadn't seen him in so long. Instead, he answered Logan's question. "I won't go into the details," he said, gesturing to himself. "But just know it was a choice between hurting me or losing one of the kids. We both agreed this was better."

"Those were the only choices?" Logan asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah," Scott said in a breath. "It was a bad situation. We were removed from the guy who had James, so…"

"Cowardly little-"

"Yeah," Scott agreed. He paused, the words at the back of his throat pushing forward. "You should know I never blamed you." He'd been wanting to tell Logan that for years, had been carrying that around the whole time. Saying it out loud … it made his path forward that much clearer.

"Wasn't me, Slim," Logan said.

That didn't really matter to Scott. He'd never be able to tell the Logan that had been in his world anything close to that. He never got the chance. This was the closest thing he had. For a long moment, it looked like Scott couldn't decide what expression he wanted to have before he crossed to Logan in a few long steps and simply _hugged_ him. Tightly.

Logan couldn't really do anything but blink a few times before he made a point to return the gesture. "Hey, come on, Scotty."

"Shut up and take the hug, Logan. You've been dead a long time."

"Must have been," he said, though he didn't let go of Scott until Scott was ready, thinking back to when he'd found Scott tucked away in a gingerbread-like cottage in Alaska. But this was a much more intense reaction, and Logan wasn't going to wreck it. Not when it was clear Scott needed this so badly.

When Scott did finally take a step back, he shook his head and gestured for Logan to take a seat with him. "I don't know what you know, but Magneto is out of control. Kitty and I have been working up a plan so I can slip into his inner circle. Bobby's causing trouble so he doesn't get suspicious. But he's jailing anyone who disagrees with him and threatening to kill them outright if they're not mutants. And that's just the problems he's causing for the general population, let alone my family." He paused. " _Our_ family."

"So … situation normal," Logan muttered under his breath as he looked Scott's plans over a little closer.

"He offered me a place at his side after it happened. And we never re-formed the X-Men, so he'd _believe_ it from me if I showed an interest in joining him there on that island. As far as he knows, I'm just a tired, de-powered has-been."

"So … you're gonna go in there and get yourself killed," Logan said, shaking his head. "Don't like it."

"Give me some credit," Scott said, rolling his eyes. "This is the best shot we have. I'm not _trying_ to get killed, but no matter how this works out, he'll be dead too." He shook his head. "We can't wait much longer. He's already talking about getting rid of all the humans, and one of these days, he's going to hit the kids too. He's made threats on James when no one is around to hear it. He's just waiting for the excuse to kill him - or worse, he's promised to wait until a weapons group finds him and then use their metal to _control_ James." Scott paused to let that sink in, not at all surprised to see Logan's eyes narrow and hands flex just slightly, like they always did when he was angry. "And it's not just our family. The kids have a human friend on their team, and Erik does _not_ like it. Especially because Nate's dating her, and she's part of Billy and Tommy's circle of friends."

For a long time, Logan simply digested the threats Scott had laid out. He could understand it; he could. Anyone breathing down their kids' necks like that, anyone making _those_ kinds of threats on James, couldn't be allowed the air to keep up those threats. But the _method_ … "I didn't think there was a universe where you'd try to copy one of my mistakes," Logan said. "But here we are."

"It's not a mistake. It's the best shot we have," Scott insisted.

"Except you're missin' the part where you make sure to walk out the other end breathin'."

"It's fine, Logan."

"No it's not." Logan tapped on the paper. "Walk me through it. Maybe I can help."

"You _can't_ come," Scott said, sharper this time, and almost automatically.

"I wasn't plannin' on it, but now I wanna," Logan said, turning his way.

"No," Scott said heatedly. "I'm _not_ going to let you die again. And you will."

"Then come up with a better plan or I'm goin' with you."

"God, I forgot how much I hate when you do that," Scott said, pinching the bridge of his nose and leaving his hand there, kneading his forehead along the line of his scars.

"Then it won't be a problem if we go together. I'll keep remindin' you," Logan was smirking crookedly at him, especially since Billy was looking like he wasn't sure what exactly Logan was up to - and was wondering if he'd made a mistake bringing in Logan. He'd send him back if he had to keep an adamantium skeleton away from Erik, but…

Scott shook his head and tried a different tactic with Logan. "Do you have a K in your universe?"

"I do," Logan said, nodding.

"What about James?"

"Among others, yeah."

Scott visibly paused when he heard "others" but then shook his head to himself. "You need to go back to them."

"Sure," Logan said. "When I know you're gonna come out of this scrap alive."

"Hey, I kept my word. I raised three kids who want to be heroes, and I-"

"How old are they?" Logan asked.

"High school, mostly. Rachel's out of school. James is going into graduate work, but he'd be in high school otherwise."

"Then you can't take a chance like that," Logan said. "You gotta stick around to walk Rachel down the aisle and get that _stupid_ look on your face when you hold a baby."

Scott gave him a dry look at that. "That's not the point."

Logan turned toward Billy and gestured toward Scott. "Billy, you wanna go get K for me? She's better with words _and_ dealin' with this one."

"You're doing fine," Billy said, then paused, the stars in his eyes swirling brighter. "I… think. It's hard to tell when I don't speak… whatever language you two speak when you do this."

"English," both of them said at once.

"Case in point," Billy said, gesturing between them.

Both Scott and Logan looked like they couldn't believe what they were hearing from Billy, but Logan was faster to get back on track. After all, he had the advantage of coming into the situation knowing Billy was concerned for Scott, _and_ he wasn't distracted seeing anyone coming back from the dead. "Come on, Scotty," Logan said in a low rumble. "What's it gonna hurt to walk me through it?"

Scott let out a long breath and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "Fine," he said. "Only because it's you."

Logan frowned a little at that, unused to _Scott_ giving him that kind of deference, but joined Scott as he went over the plans, which were pretty sparse - even considering his usual ideas. "Whatcha got for defensive weapons?"

"Not much Magneto won't know about."

Logan gestured to the knife on the table. "Workin' with ceramics … that's a start. What about your electronics?"

"Kitty's handling that. She's our eyes inside."

Logan paused visibly, then shook his head at that. "No. I mean what you're bringin' in with you."

"Outside of these?" Scott gestured to his eyes. "I'm not."

"Why not?" Logan said.

"Because Tony Stark upgraded these. I can scan for threats; I'll know if any of his bodyguards are around, and I'll be able to disable his security, even the stuff he doesn't know I can spot. Don't need much else."

" _Exactly._ He doesn't know that," Logan argued. "You need to take it from his point of view. If you're comin' in like you're seeking sanctuary, you'd have something on you. Gonna stink of a set up if you don't. Walk in there with nothin' metal and he'll know before you get close enough to say hello."

"I didn't say I was going in with nothing metal," Scott said. "I've got Jean's locket, and I'm bringing a few other things in my bag."

"Very sentimental - and _very_ stupid," Logan said. "But if you're hard up, I can give you a little metal to bring along."

"You're _not_ coming," Scott said again.

"Sure I'm not," Logan said, obviously blowing him off. "You need a weapon with you. Not a locket."

"I'm bringing that knife-"

"No. You need a weapon _he can find on you_ _first_ ," Logan said. "You're a defenseless, depowered ex-wrecking ball. You're not used to walkin' around without somethin' to cover your back. Tell me I'm wrong. It'll be a lie, but go ahead. Not like I'll _know_ you're lyin'."

Scott let out a frustrated sigh, but he had to admit that Logan was right. The truth of the matter was that he was having a hard time planning for this, because he'd _started_ with the plan to take Magneto on and take him down _with_ him, get out of his kids' way and pave the way for them at the same time. But once he'd promised to stick around for James, he was having a hard time now not only with reconciling this mission with everything he'd believed as an X-Man but with honestly thinking straight when he was still furious over Magneto's threats against James. He was out of practice from the _training_ he used to have that would let him lose his temper and still win in a fight, and so he had to plan this attack down to the letter. Which he couldn't do when even Billy's intel on Magneto was incomplete; the man didn't trust _anyone._ It was a bad situation all around, and yet he was still going in, because he didn't feel right handing it off to anyone else, either.

"I've got a gun I keep for emergencies - the kids know how to shoot too," Scott said at last.

"Course they do," Logan said. "Because you'd make sure _they_ were prepared."

"For anything," Scott said. "But I don't want them to have to deal with Magneto."

"Who would?" Logan tapped his thumb on the table a few times, grimly and silently disagreeing with the vagueness of the plan so far. "So no extraction plan if it goes south on you … how's that gonna work out? Worst case scenario."

"I've got an extraction plan," Scott said, then hesitated. "As long as he gets there in time. Not sure how far out he is."

"Who?"

"Corsair."

"Now I _know_ you got a death wish." Logan had shifted to cross his arms over his chest. "Come on, Scott. If you don't walk out of this lookin' like an action hero with explosions goin' on behind you as you _strut out_ , those kids'll be there in a heartbeat."

"I'm not moving until I know I can make it a fatal blow," Scott said.

"Strategy like that, you might as well wait til' he dies of natural causes."

Scott rolled his eyes. "Give me some credit here. I'm not an idiot, even if I haven't been an X-Man for a long time."

"Scott, you've _always_ been an X-Man from the day you put the badge on, even when you say you're not. It's part of you."

"I don't do that anymore," Scott said flatly, leaning forward, resting his chin on one hand, the end of his finger tapping the end of the longest of his three scars without realizing it.

Logan shook his head, though he didn't miss the motion and his gaze flitted to the end of the scars. "I didn't say you had to _do_ it. I said it's part of you. It's not somethin' you just shrug off. Unless you gave up on Charlie's dream."

"Never."

"Then you're _still_ an X-Man."

Scott shrugged, not wanting to argue it when there were other matters at hand. "Kitty's going to let Alex know the score as soon as I'm in place," he said to redirect the conversation, "but he's too close to Magneto where he is to know anything until the last second."

"Nice way of sayin' your brother's got a big mouth," Logan said half under his breath as he pulled the map closer.

Scott smirked. "He's my first choice to get me out of there," he said. "I know it'll be rough - Magneto hits hard-"

"So you're gonna break form and kill him," Logan said, frowning deeper somehow.

"There's not really another option here."

"You're not a killer," Logan said.

"I'm also not built to let a megalomaniac take control of my _son_." Scott paused. "Your son."

Logan blinked and looked down at the maps and photos again. "Where you plannin' to stab him?" he asked, blatantly not addressing what Scott had said when it was clear he was off his game.

"Honestly, the major problem is that his damn costume is designed to keep him safe," Scott said, glad for the excuse not to bring up what he saw as a verbal gaffe, even if, to Logan, it was just confirmation that he'd picked the right guy for godfather if _that_ was how defensive he was gonna get in a situation like this.

"Can you show me?" Logan asked. There was no doubt in his mind that Scott needed to be walked through this in all the ways he _never_ liked to practice things. Particularly where murder was concerned. Scott just didn't _think_ of the best ways to _kill_. But Logan had no trouble with that kind of planning. He did _not,_ however, like the settling sense of dread as he tried to give Scott a crash course in murder.

Scott nodded and flipped over one of the papers on the table to find one of the newspapers with Magneto in the headlines. There were plenty of them lately - from every angle, so it made remembering how exactly the costume was designed easy enough. "He's more paranoid than ever," he said. "And he's lashing out while insulating himself with every step."

Logan nodded again and took a moment to study the pictures, fighting every impulse he had to just go deal with Magneto _himself_ , because Scott was _not_ a killer - and Logan didn't _want_ him to be. "Cover your ears, princess," Logan said toward Billy as he picked up a pen to start walking Scott through where he thought there were weaknesses, highlighting the _anatomy_ of where the major vessels were, even if they weren't easy to spot. "Most of it'd work around the neck, but you're wasting your time if you don't hit the right spots there, too. Base of the skull would be quickest - those damn helmets never did go down enough to block his neck right. You can always go for the carotid - that's fast an' relatively painless, or just slash across the whole front. But your best shot is up through the soft part under his chin ... " Logan tipped his chin up and made sure to demonstrate the best angle with his hand and arm flat. "Good for the quick motion, put some power behind it." He turned the knife over in his hands a few times, testing out a couple of different grips, then set it down before he looked Scott in the eyes. "You need to practice the motion if you're gonna get it right."

Scott tipped his head back to look at Billy. "You brought him here because I'm rusty, didn't you?"

Billy had his head in the fridge. "No, I brought him here because the me in this universe is dating your son, and I'm not thrilled with the ripple effects of double-tragedy in both families."

"What kind of double tragedies?" Logan asked, half-glaring Billy's way.

Billy didn't move from where he was rooting around for something to eat or drink. "Well, if Scott and Erik kill each other, James can't handle it, and then the me in this dimension has lost his grandfather _and_ his boyfriend, and Rachel and Nate have lost their dad _and_ their brother. Kind of a race to see which of the three of them does more damage in their grief. I'd win, but it's not pretty from any of us, or anyone else for that matter."

"You really suck at disclosin' information, princess," Logan called out.

Billy straightened up with a bottle of root beer and saluted Logan with it. "I'm still working on sanity, okay?"

"Yeah, but findin' out you're a dirty cradle robber might have been a good lead," Logan said.

"We're the same age here," Billy defended.

"Uh-huh."

Scott was looking at Billy a little better. "Alright, now I'm wondering if ours is going to end up with galaxies in his eyes."

"No," Billy said. "It's sort of a … Demiurge-specific… it's a thing."

"It's better that way," Logan said. "Save you all the bad jokes about star-gazing."

"James would do that, too," Scott said, shaking his head.

"He would," Logan agreed with a sigh. "These timelines are somethin' else, Scotty."

"Then I'll refrain from telling you about the one where Rachel's your granddaughter," Billy teased, though Scott did a clear double take, even if Logan didn't look too fazed.

"You just brought my wife a daughter from another universe that's half _Creed_ ," Logan said flatly.

Scott narrowed his eyes at that. "Seriously?"

"Hey, she was three and tiny and scared, and Sabretooth was gonna kill her," Billy defended.

"I know damn well it wasn't anything K would've gone along with," Logan said.

"No kidding," Scott said, shaking his head and rubbing his eyes. "He killed her here."

"Killed her there too. Couldn't have been square."

"No, first his kid had her locked up and tortured until she couldn't think," Scott said, still rubbing his eyes. "It's no consolation, but you took his head off for it, if you're wondering."

"Not the first time," Logan said as he got up to take another beer out of the fridge. "Won't be the last. Seems to be the best way to deal with him, but I gotta admit, K has a few great suggestions. A lot of 'em involve inventive ways to light 'im on fire, but that might just be her idea of stretchin' before the big show."

"Sounds like her," Scott said with a small smile before he let out a long breath. "Alright. Let's go over this one more time."


	56. Master of Manipulation

On the weekend of Alex's birthday, Scott woke up in a cold sweat.

He'd had nightmares on and off ever since what happened with Graydon Creed had decimated his family. They hadn't ever stopped. But this time … this time was different. This time, he had more concrete worries about his kids. This time, he'd dreamed that the department had sent another monster after them, that they had scooped them up and used them up until they killed them all.

And he'd lost all the family he had left.

It wasn't the best of mindframes to be in as he headed to Genosha with a gun in a small-of-the-back holster, Jean's locket, and three ceramic knives, not to mention a panic button. He knew the kids knew where he was going, and he felt bad about how worried they looked, but Magneto had been on the news just two days earlier on a spree, crushing several buildings belonging to governments around the world. And not all of them were clearly linked to anti-mutant programs. Some of them were destroyed just for their inaction.

He was putting a target on mutants, especially on Genosha. And that knowledge on top of the threats Erik had made against James were driving Scott forward.

Logan was right - he wasn't a killer. But he also couldn't ask anyone else to make the hard decisions when there was no other option. He had to know when to cross the lines in the sand - he'd learned that much when he lost his sight.

And if he couldn't leave his kids, if he couldn't give up, then he had to do something to keep them safe. Stopping Magneto would go a long way toward giving them a chance to _breathe_.

He and Kitty had talked it through a hundred times. Without the professor to stop Magneto, they had to fall back on a sharper plan.

Scott sighed and held on to the strap of the overnight bag on his shoulder as the ship arrived and Alex and Lorna greeted him there. At least that much had him smiling as his younger brother wrapped him in a hug and put his arm around Scott's shoulders, even if he was clearly disappointed that Scott hadn't brought the kids.

But that part of the trip? That part was some of the most fun Scott had had in a while. Lorna and Alex's kids were fun to play with - not to mention Alex himself showing off surfing and then preening about his kids and their own surfing talent.

It was when the day was over and Scott went back to the royal stronghold with Lorna and Alex that things turned more serious.

"Scott," Erik said, smirking to himself. "Have you finally come to your senses now that your children have gotten a scare or two?"

Scott stopped in the hall and then turned to face Erik. "I came to see my little brother, actually. Kids couldn't make it this time, as much as they wanted to. Rachel is on rotation with the Avengers, and the boys have some big tests they need to study for; otherwise, they'd be here with me to celebrate Alex's birthday," he said, trying to keep his tone in check when _Erik_ had been one of the "scares" his kids had gotten. He wasn't going to forgive that. Or forget it.

"Yes, I'm sure that was the _only_ reason you came," Erik said. "You're aware that the chatter from the less-than-savory groups has skyrocketed for _two_ of those children, anyhow."

"I'm well-aware," Scott said. "James lost his cowl and Rachel lost her temper. An attempt was made on the team, and I'm already thinking of moving again in case anyone puts it together on Nate, too. He's still in high school; I'm not taking risks with him."

"So bring them here," Erik said, his tone richer and much warmer. "They're both welcome, and you know they'd be safe here."

"I don't know," Scott said. He didn't miss that Erik had only included two of his children in his offer of safety. But he had a plan; he needed to get close to Erik so he could catch him off-guard. And that meant trying to _reason_ with him. Like the professor would have. "You know Genosha has a target on it now too, don't you? After those last governmental raids you ran?"

"I have always been acutely aware of the risks," Erik said. "But I also know the target is more on me than it is the island or the city itself. And I'm rarely here as of late."

"I noticed that too," Scott said.

"I can arrange for a comfortable home for you and your family," Erik said.

"You know I'd take you up on it if I didn't want to take Nate from his school," Scott said. He figured that was the most believable lie - and knew that Erik would give more consideration to Nate than to James. Even so, he couldn't help but test Erik's boundaries by bringing up Kate. "He's graduating in a couple years, and he really has fallen for this girl."

Erik scoffed at that. "Yes, I've seen the girl."

"She was upset when he got hurt," Scott said in a sigh.

"Teenage infatuation."

"If I tried to break them up, they'd only get more involved. You know how that goes." Scott shook his head. "I appreciate the offer. I really do. If you're serious… I might take you up on bringing them here for the summer and then going back for the school years. I'm honestly still considering options."

"It would be in everyone's best interests," Erik said. "And that would work well with Wanda's intention with the boys."

"I'm trying to let them be their own people, make their own mistakes-" Scott rubbed his eyes. "It's hard to do that and watch out for them at the same time." He glanced up at Erik. "If it was just me, it would be a different story."

"Come on, Scott," Alex said with a concerned frown as he stepped up next to Scott and put his arm around Scott's shoulders. He'd hung back as long as he could, but now, he couldn't fight the urge to get his brother _away_ from Magneto. "You look like you need a break."

"I do," Scott admitted as Alex's kids rushed over to wrap him up in hugs that Scott gladly returned. "You guys go ahead. I think I'd like to take a little time alone for a while, if that's alright." When Alex and Lorna shared a look but nodded all the same, Scott let out a breath and headed in the opposite direction from the others, ending up on the balcony of his suite overlooking the seaside view of Genosha for a long while.

That part _hadn't_ been planned, but it ended up being tactical all the same. Scott really did need a break from Erik's pushing so he could stick to the plan. The actual celebration for Alex wasn't set to happen until the following day, when Corsair would be there, too. Both Summers boys were anxious about their father being that close to Magneto. Humans that hadn't been taken prisoner hadn't been _allowed_ on Genosha since Captain America and Iron Man had come to help after the X-Men had been gutted so many years ago. With all that in mind, Scott _needed_ the opportunity to refocus.

That was how Erik found him, a few hours later, long after Alex had left. Scott was quietly sitting on a chair on the balcony overlooking the city and playing with Jean's locket, letting it drift between his fingers as he watched the ocean beyond the barriers of the city itself. He missed Jean desperately, especially in that moment. He missed her _clarity_. And despite his promise to James, he found himself wishing to see her again. He was so _tired_ of doing this alone.

"You must know that I'm right about things concerning your safety," Erik said gently from the doorway. "Especially with how the humans have been handling themselves lately."

"Hello again, Erik." Scott didn't move from where he was seated. The years had gone by so quickly. And now, Scott could almost feel the moments as they rushed past faster and faster. But he could feel the weight of those years, too. "It's been _so long_ ," he said softly. "Watching it all happen again, watching the kids put themselves at risk while the world tries to shout them down, it feels like it just happened yesterday."

"Nothing has changed," Erik said, some anger slipping back into his tone, though it still remained soft. "They still hate us for the power we hold. You cannot expect that to change by _hiding_."

"No," Scott said in a breath. He finally tore his gaze from the ocean. "You're going to destroy them, aren't you?" he asked. His tone didn't hold any accusation to it - if anything, he sounded tired, resigned. "Until the world is nothing but mutants?"

"The initial leap into mutantkind was sudden. The extinction of the humans truly would be the natural course to take," Erik said. "Of course, I only plan to reverse the tables, not kill an entire species. The world leaders, the ones who lead the hatred and exploit mutants - yes. They will die. The rest … let them go to some distant place and stay there in exile."

"Give us the world and them Genosha," Scott summarized, one eyebrow raised. "Ambitious." He paused. "I'm asking because my son - he really has fallen for Kate. I want to be sure your goal isn't destroying the few who _are_ standing by us. I know what's being said on the news, but the professor always gave you the chance to tell your own story. Maybe you're exactly what you say you are, and my kids and I couldn't be anyplace safer than right here. And maybe you're the genocidal maniac on the news. So which is it?"

"It depends entirely on who you ask, Scott. As you know well enough yourself."

"That's why I'm asking _you_ ," Scott said. "The same people who called me a terrorist not that long ago are still working today and painting you with the same brush. I'd rather know the truth - wherever it falls." He got to his feet and spread his hands out wide. "It matters to me - the truth. I don't care what you're telling the world or even what you're telling the people of Genosha. Be honest with me, please. Do you really think you can fix this and keep my kids safe _and_ happy?"

Erik watched Scott carefully. "I'm sure there would be some complaints to start with," he said diplomatically. "But once they saw it was for their own good, yes. I think they'd be safe and happy. I've already looked into making sure all three of them would have all they need to keep themselves engaged in their passions should they come here."

"That's all I'm asking," Scott said, letting his hands drop to his sides. "I'm just tired of hoping the Avengers catch everything."

"That was _always_ a waste of time and a perfect example of misplaced faith."

"I honestly think they mean well, but…" Scott let the statement hang in the air, then let out his breath and turned to Erik more fully. "You were right. The world still needs mutants to have a voice. I'm just trying to decide if I should step out of the way and let the new generation be that voice or if those of us that laid that groundwork still have something to give. They're the ones set to inherit the world. Shouldn't we let them?"

"Only when their time comes," Erik said. "Until then, it's our _duty_ to handle it ourselves and clear the way for them. Not … pawn it off on those not yet equipped to handle it."

Scott smirked dryly and waved his hand in front of his face. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not entirely equipped to handle it either."

"Not in the capacity that you used to," Erik said. "But to speak up … that could do a lot of good for everyone, if it was done properly."

Scott tipped his head, crossing his arms. "I'm listening," he said, knowing that simple statement would earn him more trust than anything else he could have said - and get him that much closer to ending this charade once and for all.

Erik smirked to himself. "Tell the world your story. Down to the most intricate detail. Show them what happens when humans are allowed to dictate the rules and how mutants are _handled_ like pests. And do so with your children beside you. The world has seen _one_ of their faces, and I know for a fact the world is frothing at the mouth to hear that story. Simply being there with you, they would demonstrate the lengths you've gone to all these years - to keep _those children_ safe ..."

"That… could cause uproar," Scott said slowly. "I still have a hard time telling that story. There's a lot of power in it, and we both know it. It's the absolute worst of humanity."

"And yet, those young people were the smallest victims of a heartless captor." Erik let his tone drop quieter. "If you don't think that your story - and your children - wouldn't unite the mutants of the world, then you've lost your touch with how people think."

"I don't want to end up 'uniting' them into a frenzy," Scott pointed out. "I don't doubt my kids can lead. I taught them. I know they can." He let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair, completing the picture he was trying to paint of a harried father. "You're not wrong. There's a lot the world doesn't know - and they should know it. I just need to find a way to tell it that won't incite mutants against humanity itself…"

"I don't think that it's up to you to try and choose the impact of the story, Scott. But it needs to be told clearly and as it happened, and I'm very sure that for you, it's still fresh enough to make an impression. The others have let time erode the sharpness of their emotion in favor of letting those memories fade. You have not done so."

"The others don't look at Jean and Logan every day," Scott said.

"Yes, I suppose that's true enough," Erik said, his eyes glittering. "Which makes me sure that you should be the one to speak up. If anyone should hold a grudge ... " He gestured to Scott. "You have to look at two younger doppelgangers while staring at that scar every time you look in the mirror. It's a measure of your tolerance that you've managed to do as well as you have with the three of them and with so many reminders staring at you."

"I hate it," Scott said, letting some real anger out in his voice.

"So what will you _do_ about it?"

Scott let out a frustrated sound. " _Talking_ doesn't feel like enough!" he said, suddenly and sharply - and getting a surprised but pleased sort of look out of Erik.

"Of course it doesn't," Erik agreed. "Talking has _never_ worked in the past. Just like talking has never worked to rein in rebellious teenagers. Tell me, Scott. What measures have _you_ taken to keep an eye on your children? The world had advanced from when you were a young man."

"I've surrounded us with people I trust," Scott said. " _And_ I have been surveilling the areas where we live. Stark's security measures have only gotten better with every new upgrade."

Erik chuckled. "You've been trusting the Avengers too much. Have you made use of _all_ the resources available to you? I doubt that you have, somehow."

Scott gestured with one hand. "Enlighten me, then."

"One of your sons has been working for Stark - I thought for sure you'd have better surveillance than what he _allowed_ you to use. Has the boy done anything at _all_ to advance the safety of the group on his own?" He smirked to himself. "My own home has advancements well beyond what you've got on your building, and I don't have free access to Stark's endless resources."

"I also have two telepaths in my home who know exactly how paranoid they _need_ to be to survive," Scott said.

"Yes, but for how long?" Erik asked, "Telepaths have become rather hard to come by, if you haven't kept up on the acquisition lists. They are nearly as rare as ferals are. Even here."

Scott's eyes narrowed. "Erik," he said slowly, every syllable sharp, "there is _nothing_ I won't do to keep them safe. _No one_ is getting those kids."

"Nothing you won't do except the obvious." He smirked. "And considering the way that those _weapons groups_ are rallying, you sound naively optimistic."

"If you've watched any of the footage from the team's most _recent_ encounter, you know they even sent a damn _Creed_. You don't have to lecture _me_ about it," Scott snapped back.

"I interrogated those men that were sent to my prisons," Erik said in a low tone. "But that Creed would have succeeded had my grandson not stepped in. Those soldiers had plenty to say once they were here. And I am very sure your _Avengers_ wouldn't have gotten anything out of them."

Scott's mouth was a thin line. "Look," he said, matching Erik's tone, "I wouldn't have even come here if I wasn't willing to do anything - _anything_ \- to keep them safe. And that includes hearing you out despite the way you've treated James."

"I haven't laid a finger on him," Erik replied, looking perfectly affronted.

"Is that how you justify wrapping him up in wires and scrap metal?" Scott asked.

"I told you before that I lost my temper," Erik said, shifting to a more placating stance and tone. "The boy was unharmed."

"I know." Scott took a deep breath and let it out through his nose, dropping his shoulders, too. "Their push to get James _to start -_ let alone the others - has been ramping up, and you know damn well that I'm running out of options," he said at last.

"Yes, you are," Erik agreed, then gestured for Scott to join him. "I have something to show you. Perhaps it will ease your mind. _Most_ of the time, it helps me."

Scott was watching for an opening as he followed Erik to a room, where there were several monitors - many of them monitoring threats, of course, but several dedicated to the kids. The school. The outside of James' lab. And several rooms in Scott's decoy apartment.

Scott felt like he couldn't breathe, though he heard himself ask, "How did you even get in my apartment?"

"You're hardly a shut in, Scott."

Scott shook his head, coming to the monitor closest to Erik to reach out and touch the screen where Rachel could be seen talking with Betsy as they worked on her control. On another screen, Nate was obviously enjoying Kate's attention even if he was still playing catch up in his homework. Tommy and Mia were stealing kisses instead of playing chess. Billy and James were hand in hand walking into the lab, back from a short break to grab some food together.

"You've been watching them this whole time," Scott breathed out.

"When I'm here, yes," Erik said.

Scott shook his head slowly, realizing that he was seeing Erik at the height of his paranoia. It just made the threats against James that much more concrete, knowing how much effort Erik had _already_ put into preparing to act on those threats. And that - that was too much for him to ignore. Seeing his _kids_ in the crosshairs - _again_ \- something snapped.

He moved exactly the way he'd practiced with the Logan from another dimension, but Erik hadn't quite been convinced enough to relax - not that he _ever_ would have been with how high his paranoia levels were lately. So when Scott made his move, Erik stepped back just enough that Scott missed the fatal blow but still managed to sink his knife near Erik's collarbone.

Erik shot backward, away from Scott, but when he tried to lift his arm in Scott's direction, he simply couldn't pick that arm up high enough to do so. His confusion and disbelief at being that injured gave Scott the time he needed to close the gap again, rushing forward and ready to fight before Erik could gather his senses. Scott hit him nearly in a tackle, leading with the knife in his hand - in a rush to take him _out_. Though Scott's strike was true, the armor Erik was wearing was steady, and the ceramic blade splintered and broke when Scott tried to slip it between two panels. On seeing how close to a fatal blow Scott almost landed, Erik reached out toward Scott, expecting to find a steel knife. When he _didn't_ find steel though, he let out a roar - thinking of the stockpiles of non metallic weaponry that James had in his lab - just before he took the only metal Scott had on him now. The locket and Scott's cybernetic eyes.

Scott couldn't stop his scream when it happened, either. He hadn't been expecting it, and he was reeling badly enough that he couldn't have possibly prepared for when Jean's locket came back toward him and ended up embedded close to his heart - and would have been right through if he hadn't bent over as he gasped in air trying to alleviate the pain.

The next thing he knew, the locket left his chest and wrapped around his throat. And _that_ , finally, was such an urgent threat that he was able to _think_ about more than just how badly he was hurt to remember one of the failsafes he'd brought. Fumbling and losing steam fast, he managed to hit a button on his watch that activated a small dampener there - and all at once, he could breathe again as the locket settled on the floor.

Of course, being denied access to his powers only infuriated Erik more, and he removed the first knife Scott had used against him, stalking forward with a low, dangerous, "I think it's past time you joined your team."

Scott was bleeding badly and massaging his throat, but he reached for the last of his ceramic knives and forced himself to _focus_ as he settled into a fighting stance. "You act like I've never had to fight blind before."

"Rest assured you won't have to again." Erik was confident as he rushed toward him, but Scott was the one to draw blood first as the two of them fell into a viciously lopsided knife fight, slicing away at each other. With Erik bleeding and unable to lift one arm and Scott bleeding from his chest and face, they were already fighting less elegantly than they would have at their prime. But that didn't seem to matter to either of them. Not when it was abundantly clear that neither of them could hold anything back and survive the fight.


	57. To Me, My X-Men

The Summers kids and their significant others, meanwhile, had broken into little groups almost as soon as Scott had left - and they'd all agreed to reach out if anyone got word from those on Genosha that something was wrong. Billy had even managed to come up with a spell that would tip them off if something drastic happened outside of the watchful view of Alex or Kitty.

But while they waited, there really was no reason to bunch up, and instead of holding their collective breath, the little group had paired off to wait. Billy and James in particular had headed out to grab a bite. Billy had hoped it would get James to take a step or two down from the honest-to-God raised hackles and super tense stance, but that alone … no dice. A few stolen kisses and a little quiet time, though … that at least had James settling down a _little_ , but it was clear he was going to be tense until this Genosha thing was in the rearview mirror.

"I swear, I'm not trying to be a stress ball," James said when they'd gotten back to his lab at Stark's tower. "I just …so, the reason I took up therapy is that I learned some things from Dad after he busted me out on the bug on the island, and I'm a little freaked out by it, if I'm being perfectly honest."

"Okay, well, maybe I can help if you're finally going to tell me what's been on your mind," Billy offered. "You don't have to share details if you don't want to, but maybe I can… I don't know…"

James let out a heavy sigh as he dropped down onto the couch, realizing that Billy really did need to know all of it, too. Even if he was sure it would send Billy running. "Maybe. I got Dad to tell me the whole story of what happened with my parents and the X-Men."

Billy let out a low whistle. "That already sounds bad. I know you didn't know because it _was_ bad, so, like… this is bad, right?"

"It is," James replied slowly. "But … believe it or not, I think I get it? Which is what's had me so stressed out."

"That actually doesn't make any sense, James," Billy said, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

"Yeah, because I haven't told you what I know. Like … for starters, did you know my mom killed your uncle? Because I didn't know that before Dad told me."

"Oh." Billy shrugged. "Yeah, Grampneto is still mad about it, actually."

"And did you know that Tyler's dad tortured and killed my mom in front of everyone _after_ Logan blinded Dad? I mean … I suspected as much from the scars, but I didn't know _why._ "

"Okay, that part I didn't know," Billy said, his eyes wide as he held his breath.

James's tone got much quieter, but it was because he didn't want to say the next part too loudly, not because he was worried about being overheard. "Sabertooth… told Logan in a very deceptive way that his _son_ had asked for him before he died." James focused on Billy's hand as his thumb rubbed over the back of Billy's hand. "I didn't know I had a big brother - and he didn't register with Logan as a possibility. So, thinking _I had died_ , Logan killed himself after he killed Mom's murderer."

Billy was silent for a long time before he whispered, "I don't even know where to start."

"I know. I haven't told Nate and Rach, and I've been blocking them both unless I was reaching out specifically, which I've been trying to avoid," James said. "But … after knowing how my parents were with me - and with each other? I get it."

"Okay, but now you're worrying _me_."

"I'm just saying … I understand it. I'm not looking to use it as a life model."

"Yeah, but, I mean, consider how it looks from my end? You're all stressed out, your dad's fighting my grandfather, and then you tell me the thing that's on your mind is murder and suicide?"

"He told me about all this our last day in Genosha. It's been on my mind ever since, and I've been trying to think of pretty much anything else." He let out a breath. "And I _know_ Dad's right on the brink."

"But it seemed like he was having _fun_ with the mission!"

"I think he was," James said. "But after he started telling me the story, he was slipping fast."

"It's a really bad story, James," Billy said, still speaking at a whisper.

"It is," James agreed. "And _that_ …" He let out a heavy sigh. "So, my parents didn't know it wasn't me that Sabretooth was talking about right away, and Dad blames himself for Xavier's death … and everything else.… There were others that were killed before all that mess too... And I guess the idea that they'd kill a three year old was enough to make my Aunt Jean snap. _That's_ what set her off. But she didn't totally lose it until she saw I _wasn't_ dead. How's that for fun family dynamics?"

Billy stared at him for a long while as he held his hand. "You know it's not your fault, right?" He held up a hand between them. "I'm just checking, because… it can't be easy finding out you were a major player, and you know you were _teeny,_ right?"

"I know. That's why I've been seeing a therapist since we got home." James looked up at Billy and forced a smile. "It's a bad story, and I didn't want to tell it to anyone, but I knew I needed professional help. But don't worry.… I wasn't a player; I was a _prop_. All of us were. They had Rachel wired, more or less, and were using that to make my mom do stuff. They were using all of us kids against the adults like that." He gestured widely. "Hell. The guy that was running it had _me_ to force Logan to blind Dad."

"I'm so sorry," Billy said. "That… that just sucks. There's no way to spin it that isn't terrible."

"Yeah. I know. It is. But I can't change it." James let out a sigh. "I guess what I'm saying is, if I'd lost everyone I loved, _like Logan thought he did_ … I get it. I understand why he did it, and I'm not mad at him anymore. But that's not a danger here. I still have the people I love. That's what's keeping me here, honestly."

Billy nodded gently and simply wrapped James in a long, tight hug, since he didn't know what else he could _do,_ and that was all he could think of, trying to _show_ him that it was alright, even when it didn't feel like it.

Just as James was _starting_ to relax a little, Billy's spell went off with a shrill whistle that made both of them jump.

James stared around the room for a moment, ordering his thoughts. "I need to get there _now_."

Billy was wide-eyed as he nodded. "I need to grab - hold on -" he said, holding James' hand tight before he whispered his spell. First, _IwantRachelandNatehere_ and then _IwanttogotoScott_ over and over again until the spells took hold, and the next thing the Summers kids knew, they were in Genosha, in a room filled with monitors.

"Where is he?" James said, taking only a few moments to scan the monitors before he realized the screens weren't showing anywhere on Genosha. He took a few steps backward, closed his eyes to focus on the scents around him, and took off at a dead run following Scott's scent trail from where the fight he and Erik were in had started … and moved through the palace.

"Follow," Rachel said, pushing the two boys after James. "Fast."

James nearly skidded to a stop when he could smell the blood in the air when he got close to the fight that was still going on. Erik had a knife in his hand and his arm drawn back over Scott. Both of them were bleeding and slashed up from the fight they must have had before the kids could get there. But the part that had James off his game was all the blood around Scott's face … the fact that his eyes looked sunken in, like something was missing that would let him open his eyes when he was at such a disadvantage... All at once, as he realized what Magneto must have done, James didn't even feel the growl or notice it when he snarled - much louder and lower than any time before. He was mad enough that he didn't register that he was in motion, rushing to get in between Scott and Erik. And for a few moments, for James, everything faded out except the trouble at hand as, for the first time, he went into the red as he defended his dad.

The others didn't have a chance to step in. They didn't get the opportunity to _help_ for as fast as James had been, so instead of worrying about helping him, the Summers kids rushed in behind James to try and get to their dad, with Billy trying to take stock of what to _do_.

When James blinked out of the red haze a few minutes later, it was to an almost deafening ringing in his ears, and he realized quickly that he had a _lot_ of blood on his hands. His chest was aching deeply enough that it was hard to breathe - and every breath was more painful than the last. It took him a few moments to look down and realize that he was bleeding from the knife lodged in his chest near the center. His hands were bleeding too, and on seeing the blood dripping off his fingers, it was like the nerves in his arms and hands woke up at once and started screaming at him - which was how James realized that he'd used his claws. That in itself was shocking, since he hadn't known for sure if they'd even grown back after Tyler snapped them off. But the claws had already retracted, and on seeing and smelling _so much blood_ , James was dizzy and a little sick to his stomach.

Nate and Rachel were already crouched down next to Scott, and James glanced around the room to get his bearings even as the world spun around him. He didn't even _see_ Erik until he'd nearly tripped on him, and then, he slipped on the bloody floor and nearly lost his balance entirely. "Oh, no," James whispered out when he saw the slash marks and puncture wounds on Erik - perfectly spaced, three at a time. He half reached toward Erik, though that thought was abandoned when he saw how much his hands were bleeding, and he swayed on his feet.

"James," Nate called out when he saw that his brother was coming out of whatever that _snap_ had been. His voice sounded shaky - not just from seeing James lose it but also from seeing his dad so badly hurt. "We found your dampener bracelet thing that Dad was wearing so … so um… don't touch that knife and try not to bleed out, wouldja? Powers should be coming back on now…" He was fumbling with the device as he said it, his hands slicked with their dad's blood as he and Rachel had been trying to help him.

Rachel, for her part, was trying to stop their dad from bleeding out, but she didn't know what was the worst stuff that she needed to _stop_. Even though Scott had still been conscious when they arrived, he had passed out by the time James came back to himself, and Rachel didn't know if the wound in his chest or the discoloration and blood on his neck or the long cut soaking his leg with blood was the worst problem.

James blinked at his family for a moment but didn't reply, still trying to figure out what _exactly_ he'd done and quickly slipping into shock from the situation and the loss of blood. He stumbled back a few steps, staring at Erik in horror for a long moment and trying desperately to remember what had happened as he began to inch closer to hyperventilating in a panic attack. He knew the outcome, but he couldn't remember hitting Erik at _all_ , and he didn't know how either of them ended up stabbed. But a low, soft moan of pain from Scott drew his attention. "Is Dad …"

"He's… breathing," Rachel said, though she was pale, and there was fire at the corners of her eyes as she panicked. "He and Magneto really did a number on each other. Oh, God…"

James wandered closer to them, clearly still in a daze and shaking as he dropped to his knees to join his siblings. He had _no_ idea where to even start. Emotionally, he was numb, but his entire body ached, and once he realized _that_ , he was sure the knife in his chest hurt more with every heartbeat. Without thinking about the consequences, and deep down _knowing better_ , his hand drifted up to take hold of the hilt.

"Wait," Nate said when he saw the movement from his brother, but James couldn't hear him properly, and his body seemed to be working on autopilot. A moment later, James let out an involuntary sound of pain as he pulled the blade free before Nate could get close enough to stop him. Too late, Nate shouted at him as James dropped the blade, half-heartedly clutching at the horribly bleeding wound and not processing anything around them as the blood flowed.

Billy, meanwhile, was the only one who wasn't crowding a bruised and badly bleeding Scott — he was standing off to the side and _staring_ at Erik, holding his breath and trying to get the image of his grandfather stabbing James in the heart out of his head. Erik's shift in target was smooth, focused, and seamless, and the expression on his face when he sunk his knife into James' heart was one Billy _knew_ was going to haunt his dreams for a while. Not to mention the raw reaction James had when he let _loose_ all those feral instincts was jarring to say the least. Especially since it wasn't until after Erik had stabbed him that James really lost his temper and the claws came out. He saw that James had tried just pushing him away from Scott _first._ Even when James saw Erik was trying to kill Scott, he wasn't pushing to do the same.

When Billy heard Rachel let out a muffled almost-sob, he finally snapped out of his daze and came close to where the others were. He was quietly crying, but he put a hand on James' shoulder and another hand on Scott's arm.

_Iwantustogohome. Iwantustogohome. Iwantustogohome._

In a blink, all of them were back in the Summers home, appearing in the middle of the living room - though that didn't help the immediate situation with Scott when he was unconscious and in a bad way.

Except … a different universe's Billy was in the living room too. Along with a different Logan.

"I got it _wrong,_ " the younger Billy said in a horrified voice as Logan darted forward, shoved Nate and Rachel back, and started to triage Scott, swearing up a blue streak as he did so.

"No, you didn't," James said, though he didn't get to explain further as Logan pushed him back, too. That in itself was enough to stop James cold.

"Damnit, Scooter, you're not _allowed_ to bleed out, you pig-headed pain in my-" Logan snarled out, only to be cut off mid curse.

" _What the hell is even happening right now?_ " Nate blurted out, staring at Logan.

"Hey, hi, it's a long story," the older Billy said, gently pulling Nate and Rachel further back by the shoulders as James quietly took _his_ Billy's hand and all of them stared at the newcomers. "We're here to help, I promise. Dimension-hopping helpers."

"Get Hank here _now_ ," Logan said. "Or whoever the hell's worth a damn for a doctor."

The older Billy looked toward Rachel, who was taking hyperventilating breaths and trying to keep the fire from spreading. "Avengers Tower?" he asked, and when she nodded, he teleported away with an Asgardian spell and then reappeared a moment later with a very confused Hank McCoy - who immediately swore when he saw the situation.

"Covered that already, Blue," Logan growled out.

"What _happened_?" Hank demanded. "Where did you come from?" he asked as well, though he was already diving in to get to work.

"That really the most important thing on your mind right now?" Logan challenged in a tone that spoke volumes on how upset he was watching Scott bleed.

"No, but when it's been over a decade, I'd say it's a fair question to pose!" Hank shot back, sounding just as stressed. "Get me some bandages. The magician who brought me here should have my bag, too."

"He can magic you a full flamin' ER if he gets his ass in gear," Logan barked out.

The older Billy startled. "Right," he said quickly, then snapped his fingers - and Hank had everything he needed right there in the living room, leaving the kids _even more confused_.

Hank didn't question it as he rushed to get Scott stable, but once Hank had everything he needed, Logan stepped back to give him room to _work_ , though he looked anxious as he watched Hank.

"Okay," Nate said, one arm around a shaking Rachel. "But for real. What the hell."

"Different reality," Logan said as he tried to slow his breathing a little _before_ he turned to the two of them. He narrowed his eyes and took a step forward on seeing Rachel still on the brink. "You doin' alright, darlin?" He held his hand out to her. "Let me see your wrist. This'll help."

Rachel glanced at Nate, who nodded in a silent promise to have her back, and then she held out her hand. "I'm trying to hold it back," she breathed out.

Logan took her hand gently and shifted how he was standing to get the right angle for the pressure points he was using. "Just breathe slow, close your eyes, and tell me when it lets up."

Rachel nodded, keeping her eyes closed, though neither of her brothers breathed until the fires finally faded, and then she sank into a seat on the couch with Nate still holding onto her tightly.

Logan let out a breath and then turned toward James and Billy, who were both in a heavy state of shock. "James, you need to clean up. Take Billy with you to catch your breath, and tell me about what happened when you get the blood out of your nose."

For a long moment, both of them just stood there in a daze, but when it was clear James _couldn't_ bring himself to speak, Billy did it for him. "Is Scott going to be okay?" the younger Billy asked with a shaking voice.

"If he's not, I'm gonna have a new blue rug," Logan said - loudly enough for Hank to catch and give him a dirty look for.

"He'll pull through," the older Billy said from where he was magicking up a change of clothes along with all his younger self and James needed to clean the blood up. "Hank got here in time, and honestly, Scott did alright for starting with a framework he came up with when he wanted to die."

"What," Nate said flatly, looking up at the older Billy, who winced.

"Yeah… that's a whole discussion that I'm not the right person to go to if you want to have it," he said. "If it makes you feel better, he changed the plan so he _did_ have backup and an exit plan, so-"

"Why the hell would that make me feel better about it?" Nate demanded - until Rachel broke out of her panic to pull Nate over and try to calm _him_ down.

But James didn't move - still frozen to the spot and staring at Logan until Logan realized exactly how shell-shocked the kid was. Logan frowned as he watched James for a moment, and with a heavy sigh, Logan stepped toward James and reached up to rest one hand at the side of his neck and his other hand on James' shoulder, ignoring the mess there in a way the kids simply _couldn't_. "I promise I'll be here when you get back from cleaning up. I'll talk with you about whatever you want - answer any questions you might have as best as I can. I'm not gonna disappear on you." Logan held his gaze until James finally nodded, but it was clear he couldn't turn away from Logan, either.

"I got you," the young Billy said, slipping his fingers through James' and then giving his hand a squeeze. "Come on. We can come right back."

James followed Billy silently, though as soon as they were apart from the others, James pulled Billy to a stop, and everything bubbled up in a rush. "Billy … I'm so _sorry_. I didn't want to … I don't know what _happened_ back there on the island. I just wanted to get to my dad - _Scott -_ not … I didn't mean to… I didn't want to _touch him_ , and I don't know ...I didn't want to hurt him, I just wanted him to _stop._ "

Billy was surprised to hear it. "How can you not know what happened?" he asked. "You pushed my grandfather off your dad, and he stabbed you! He was trying to kill you when you weren't even going for a fight!"

"I don't remember it," James said, looking half scared at the admission.

Billy wrapped his arms around James. "It's okay. I've got you, okay? We'll - it was kind of intense. Maybe you just - blacked it out or - I've got you, okay?"

He nodded and returned the hug - though as soon as he had his arms around Billy, he really didn't want to let go.

Billy rested his head on James' shoulder, and for a long time, they stood there in silence before, quietly, Billy said, "So, I think that magician might be me."

"Yeah, looked like it," James said finally, his voice still shaking even as he tried to force some levity. "You were partially right. About the hair."

"Yeah." Billy took a deep breath and looked at James fully. "Your, um, Logan… that was… unexpected…"

"No kidding."

"Sounded like a good guy to have in your corner, though. In a pinch, I mean." James nodded, at a loss for words. Billy bit his lip and gave James another moment before a very big question bubbled up that he truly needed answered. "So … I'd suggest going to your room, but I don't know _where we are._ "

"Ah," James' head popped up as if he had just realized they were in the _real_ Summers house. "I wanted to bring you here sooner, I swear."

"So what about Kate's building?"

"That … is our backup," James said, honestly worried that he'd screwed things up too badly to even try to salvage. "I'm the worst boyfriend in history." He dropped his gaze to their hands. "I wanted to bring you here. But I was just trying to protect my family. I knew your grandfather was watching _you_.. and I didn't want him going after Dad. At all."

"You should have told me he was threatening you _way_ sooner," Billy said.

"Wouldn't have changed anything," James replied. "I didn't let him scare me off, either."

"Are you sure you didn't stick with me to keep from dying?"

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "He wasn't going to kill me. Might have wanted to, and he might have tried, but that wasn't going to happen."

"He killed all of my exes, James. Even the ones that didn't do anything wrong. He would have kept trying until he managed to kill you."

"Only if you got tired of me." James paused and glanced up at him. "It's okay if you don't want me, you know. I won't hold it against you. I screwed things up pretty epically. I _murdered_ your grandfather. Your family is going to hate me."

Billy swallowed and shook his head. "I saw… I mean, I can _see_ what he did to your dad, and I _saw_ what happened when you tried to stop him from killing your dad, so, I mean, I'm not _okay,_ but I'm not mad at _you_." He ran his hand through his hair. "If Grandfather hadn't - I mean, you _saw_ , right? He… he would have killed you and your dad, and he was trying to do it in a way that _hurt._ I mean…" Billy shook his head, obviously still trying to process everything that had happened. Then, failing to find words, he just rested his head on James's shoulder - because he really needed James' rock steady presence just then when he thought about how much his grandfather was trying to make James and Scott _suffer_ before he killed them.

The sound of the monitors in the makeshift living room ER shifted to a more stable rhythm, and James suddenly looked as if he just remembered something important. He took a moment and pulled his cell phone out and hit the second name on his favorites list. He was biting his lip until Tony picked up on the other end with a cheerful greeting.

"Hi, um… the news is about to get really busy," James told him. "And I promise I will tell you as much as I can, but I need you to _please_ bring whatever you can to give Dad his sight. We're at the real house, and we can't let him wake up without his vision."

"What happened?" Tony asked, though James could hear him scrambling to gather up what was needed.

"I … Dad went after Magneto," James said. "Magneto took his eyes … it's a mess, but Beast is working on him."

"Does Cap need to launch a counter attack?"

" _No_ , nothing like that," James replied quickly.

"I know you want to protect your boyfriend's family but Magneto isn't someone you ignore. He _will_ counter attack."

"No, Uncle Tony, _he won't_ ," James said, losing some of his steam and all of his forced calm. "I … ah … I killed Magneto."

There was silence for an uncomfortably long moment, and James was just about to say something when Tony cut in, sounding serious but calm. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Call me if _anything_ happens."

"Okay," James said, though he barely stopped himself from apologizing to Tony too. This wasn't the kind of thing _Avengers_ did. That was one more area that he'd screwed up, and he didn't realize how much he _didn't_ want to blow that until just then. He hung up the phone after Tony did, then stared at it for a long moment, half afraid to say anything at all. But the blood that was still wet and sticking to itself on his hands and body reminded him of what he was supposed to be doing. So, he swallowed thickly and cleared his throat.

"I should really ... " He gestured down at his clothes. "Yeah."

Billy swallowed and blushed deeply. "I could help. In a totally… just trying to help way. I swear."

"I'm not going to _argue_ something like that, and I'm not going to put stipulations on what you can or can't do," James replied with a little smirk, because even now, in the middle of a disaster that had probably wrecked _everything_ , it was easier to flirt than it was to figure out what had happened. "Especially if you're trying to _take care of me."_

Billy blushed a little deeper before he nodded, and the two of them disappeared into James' room to get him changed and cleaned up.

* * *

Scott has been dead before, so he recognized the sensation of peace and lightness that hit him when he reached the other side. And when he realized where he was, the first thing that registered with him was a wave of _relief_. He was _done_. He'd _finally_ crossed the finish line.

The second thing that hit him was Jean Gray as she came rushing over to him and threw her arms around him in a tight hug. And as soon as he latched onto her just as tightly, it was like they'd never been apart. She pulled him into a passionate kiss, and he pulled her off her feet to reciprocate.

They didn't break too far apart when the kiss _did_ break, and Scott rested his forehead against hers, drinking in her presence after so long apart. "I missed you," he whispered into her hair.

"Missed you too," she said and kissed him again. "I am _so sorry_. I couldn't hold it back."

"Don't apologize for the Phoenix," Scott said, shaking his head. "It wasn't your fault."

"I have to, though," she said. "I let it out. It's my fault things went so far. I knew better, and I did it anyhow. And look at everything I missed because of it." She smiled up at him and brushed his hair back from his face. "You are _amazing_."

Scott shook his head, still drinking her in. "And you're just as beautiful as I remember."

"Flatterer," she said before she leaned in and kissed him again.

"If there is one thing that I can always rely on, it's the fact that the two of you will forget every single thing that you ever thought was important while you are in each other's presence," Charles said in a warm tone - just to break up the reunion.

The two of them broke apart at last, though Scott kept a hand on Jean's waist as he stared at Charles. "Professor," he said softly.

Charles was smiling warmly. "Hello, Scott. I do believe you're early for this meeting, my boy."

Scott shook his head and cleared his throat. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "You wouldn't even be here if it weren't for me."

"You did nothing wrong, Scott. The blame lies squarely on the monsters that did this to us. Not you. At all."

"I could have saved you," Scott insisted.

Charles shook his head lightly. "If you truly believe that, then do me a favor and ask the Demiurge what would have happened in that scenario when you go back."

"I don't think I've met the Demiurge yet," Scott said.

Charles let out a sigh, looking both amused and annoyed at the same time. "You met him not long ago. I believe you were introduced to him as the 'harbinger'," Charles said. "That is not his name or his title, rather a silly nickname that _his_ Logan or K gave him." He stepped forward - walking on his own steam for the first time that Scott could remember seeing - and for a moment, he realized how odd it was to look Charles in the eyes on the same level. "But that's not nearly as pressing as the fact that you _must_ go back, Scott."

Scott's grip around Jean's waist tightened, and his expression fell. "So this isn't a permanent visit," he said, sounding downright depressed to hear it.

"It doesn't have to be," Jean told him gently. "Hank's trying to save you right now."

Scott turned toward Jean, once more taking in every detail of her face. "Please don't ask me to go back, Jean," he said, and her eyes were shining when she heard his tone. "I just got you back."

"It's your choice, Mr. Summers," Jean said, and though she was aiming for a prim tone, it was destroyed entirely by her smile. She'd missed him, too, and being around him again, she couldn't stop smiling no matter the subject matter. "When you choose, it should be a informed decision."

Scott sighed and kissed her. "I'd rather stay here with you, Mrs. Summers."

"And I can appreciate that decision better than anyone, oh, husband of mine, but … you might want to listen to the other side of the story first. As much as I hate to admit it, there are some good points."

"Fine," he said without moving back from her. The truth was that he already knew what his decision had to be; he was just so _tired,_ and he wanted to stay with Jean more than pretty much anything.

Jean didn't bother trying to hold back the laugh before she took his head in her hands and kissed him again. "I love it when you behave just to do it. Especially when you already _think_ you have your mind made up."

"Love you too," he said, smiling.

"So," she said, arching one eyebrow. "Do you want to let Charles talk, or do you want to do this the fast way?"

"Oh, well, if there's an option that gives me more of your attention…"

"You and I have all the time in the universe, regardless of what you choose." She looked over her shoulder at Charles. "If it's all the same to you, I think we'll cover this part on our own. You can handle the wrap up - whichever way it goes."

"You know which way it needs to go, Jean," Charles said, but that only had her shooing him away.

"Like I said," Jean said as she turned back to Scott, "it's _your life_. Your decision."

"It's not really, though," he pointed out. "I know I'm needed, I just don't know how severely I'm needed..."

"You're not dead yet, but you're close to it - and when it's this close, it _is_ your choice. So … let's go down your plusses and minuses list and see which way it works best _for you_."

Scott laughed outright. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," she said with a grin. "But I haven't been far from you - _at all_."

"I know," he said gently.

Jean curled into him so she could wrap him up and lean her head on his chest. "Good. As long as you know, let's get started. Column 'B' is to go back. Column 'A' is to stay. I'll list the B, you list the A - no matter how repetitive it gets."

"You're at the top of the list; Jean. You always are."

"Mr. Summers, be specific," Jean laughed.

"I thought I was already assigned Column A," he teased.

"Alright, that's fair. Okay … So … to go back … Rachel."

"The professor."

"Nate."

"Jubilee."

"Alex."

"K."

Jean's smile slipped. "James."

His smile dropped too. "Logan goes in yours, then. He'd never forgive me if I left James."

"Only because we already know where their heads are at," Jean told him. "I can show you."

"Do I want to know?" Scott asked, frowning.

"Which one?" Jean asked, rather than answer outright.

"That bad, huh?" He sighed. "Okay, show me."

Jean nodded, then took a moment to reach out and gently brush his mind, first and foremost - then led him through the sea of chatter to find Rachel first. She was barely holding on to herself and using every trick she knew to calm down and keep the Phoenix at bay as it whispered lies and promises to her, just like it had always done with Jean when things were hard to handle. It was everything Scott had been scared of for his daughter since the day she got her powers, and he felt all his breath leave him as he heard the Phoenix promising his _baby girl_ that she could save her father, save _everyone_ , if she let go of her control.

Scott hated that the Phoenix could use him against her so _easily_. He'd meant to give her relief, not give her another reason to listen to that firebird.

Jean let him soak it in and see where Rachel's mental state was headed before she gently redirected him to listen to Nate.

Nate, out of the three kids, had been the most outwardly calm … but on hearing his thoughts, Scott found himself shocked at how much more Nate's _mind_ sounded like his own - tense and stretched on the edge of snapping while he put everyone else ahead of himself. Only, with Nate, the danger of letting go wasn't _fire_ \- it was psychically lobotomizing everyone for miles around him. There was no need to truly dwell on it … not when Scott was getting a clear impression of Nate's powers pulsing just under the surface and how destructive he could be if he lost his grip on his control by a hair. That was, essentially, why he'd had so much trouble keeping his powers under control. He was powerful enough that he used them without thinking about it. It just _happened_ , so learning to stop it had been like learning to breathe in a new manner - and when he was panicking, his mind went back to the most natural setting. The one that didn't require him to restrain himself.

Scott wasn't sure how he could have missed that, since that had always been _his_ problem - constantly trying to hold back a power that could destroy everything when it was always turned _on_. Nate had always played it down, always let James and Rachel take the brunt of his worry, because Nate wanted to be _normal_.

Scott wanted so badly to go back and tell Nate that he understood, that he could empathize more than Nate realized. He wanted to _help_.

He wasn't expecting the sharp shift when they went from the almost humming, swelling power of Nate's mind to James'. James was teetering right on the edge, convinced that everything leading up to that moment was the result of his mistakes. And he was sure that everything that he held dear was slipping away - a feeling that Scott was overly familiar with. Scott could feel the crushing guilt that James had taken onto himself, and he could see how the last year of being on the teams and everything else was starting to feel like the end that James had expected for himself since he was old enough to know how different he was from just about everyone else. James was sure his dad was dying and that his boyfriend was bound to drop him for having _murdered_ Magneto (though Scott disagreed with that assessment entirely). Scott was surprised to find that the guilt _just_ from Magneto was positively overwhelming for James. He truly felt horrible about killing him - regardless of circumstance. The other issues that stemmed from it were increasing in weight dangerously fast, from worrying about what the Avengers might say to half hoping that Wanda simply wiped him from existence.

The kid was on a fast track to destroying himself with all that building in his mind. And he wasn't even trying to hold back his outward distress - a fact that was only compounding as Billy tried to _help_ him. And Scott couldn't let that happen. Not again. Not to his _son_.

Scott couldn't find anything to say when he and Jean came back from the peek into his kids' minds. He had known _parts_ of what they were thinking, yes, but this was something else entirely. Seeing how close all three of them were to losing it…

He finally took a shuddering breath and covered his eyes with one hand, trying to center himself without losing his grip on his already frayed emotions after arriving in Heaven. "I'm so sorry," he managed to say at last. "I tried - I really did - to give them a better shot…"

"And you did," Jean agreed. "But they were always going to have their own challenges. That's not your fault. Blame genetics."

Scott picked his hand up to give Jean a dry look. "We never blamed genetics before."

"Yeah, well … it fits in this case," she said. "You forget, I've _seen_ what you went through with those kids. And I've been in everyone's heads. Everyone's, Scott. I'm telling you. Genetics."

Scott shook his head, still shaken by what he'd seen and felt in his kids' minds. "You're right," he said at last. "The professor was right. They can't lose me. Not right now." At the admission, he found himself leaning into Jean, searching for support as he always did when they were together. Like they'd always done from the time they were teenagers in love, long before they got married.

"Yeah, I know," Jean said.

He sighed again and wrapped his arms gently around her, simply resting there as he tried to remember everything about her all at once, drinking all of it in and trying to burn it into his memory.

"It must be such a burden to be so loved," she said with a smile as she curled into him.

"You'd know," he said with a soft smile.

"Nothing like what you've got."

"You should have been there with me," Scott told her. "They'd love you too. They already revere your memory."

"Yeah … I did apologize for that, right? I would have loved snuggling with those three."

"I remember not accepting an apology, yeah," he said with a soft smile.

"Then I need to apologize again," she said, then popped up on her toes to kiss him again. "I will miss you… but … I don't want you to be miserable and just _waiting_. If you're going to live - _live._ Not just for the kids but for you, too."

Scott sighed as he took her face in his hands. "I guess I'll need to figure that out. I'm about to have an empty nest." He sighed again. "I don't know what I'll do then."

Jean smiled. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Scott smiled and stayed where he was for as long as he dared, at least until he started to once again feel like he wanted to stay there with her and with the family he'd lost. And once his thoughts turned that way, he straightened up, knowing he couldn't go down that road again. "Alright," he said softly. "Send me back, Jean Gray."

"Love you, Scott. I'll be here whenever you're actually _done_."


	58. I've Got You

By the time that Hank had started to work a little more methodically and less frantically, Rachel and Nate were relaxing substantially more than before. Both of them were torn between worry for their dad and outright curiosity, too, and it showed. But just as Nate was ready to start asking the other-dimensional Logan a few things to elaborate, his phone went off with a text … from Alex. He took a moment to read it through, then turned to Rachel to be sure she was alright. _Can you handle this guy for a minute?_

_Yeah, why? What's wrong?_

_Nothing, just gonna give Uncle Alex a call, and I thought I'd do it away from this guy. He was supposed to be Dad's back up. If he came to see Magneto and found nothing but blood …_

_Yeah, go … I'll let you know if anything changes with Dad. I just want to stay here and keep watch._

Nate squeezed her hand and couldn't help himself as he glanced Logan's way before he headed upstairs to make a phone call. He noted to himself that James' door was closed and all was quiet, so he kept going to his room. And he barely connected before Alex picked up quickly - freaking out.

"What's going on?" Alex asked in a near shout. "I went to find your dad, and all I found was _Magneto_ … in the middle of his throne room in a pool of blood. Everyone is freaking out, his closest followers are calling for justice, Lorna's a _mess,_ and Wanda hasn't said a word since we found out!" Alex took a few breaths that Nate could hear even over the phone. "Where is Scott?"

"He's here," Nate replied calmly. "We got him out; he's … well. Beast is working on him. He and Magneto were pretty hard on each other."

"From what I saw? That is a massive understatement," Alex said. "How did you get him out of here? I didn't see any crafts, and Dad was watching from orbit for trouble."

"Billy got us there and back, actually," Nate said, his ears burning red. "But … if you want to know what's going on, you'd probably be better off just coming here. It's … I don't know how well Dad's going to come out of this."

"Yeah, I'm on the way," Alex said. "Expect me and Dad at least. Might grab the kids and Lorna too. She's probably going to need to get out of here. See you soon - and _call me_ if anything else goes wrong. Got it?"

"Got it. Thanks, Uncle Alex." Nate hung up the phone and then headed back into the room, where Rachel was focused on reading Hank's thoughts so she knew how worried she needed to be about her dad.

While Hank was working, then, no one was talking. They were all just… waiting to see how things panned out. Because at that moment, everything hinged on whether or not Scott survived.

"So," Nate said, the first to break the spell of silence that was hanging over the living room, "I have questions."

"Shoot," Logan said as he sat back down and cracked open a beer.

"You're from a different dimension, right?"

"Yep."

"So why come here?" Nate asked. "I mean, no offense, but you're dead here."

Logan thumbed over his shoulder at the older Billy. "Harbinger said it'd help if I came."

"That's not my name," the older Billy said dryly.

"Was it an end of the world situation?" Logan challenged, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, yes, but-"

"Harbinger."

"Okay, second question," Nate said. "Now I want to know about the end of the world situation. I mean… I have a guess, but…" He glanced at Rachel, who flushed pink.

"What's your guess?" Logan asked.

"He knows I almost lost it when he got hurt," Rachel admitted.

Logan let out a sigh of longsuffering. "Believe it or not, the universe ain't wrapped around Summerses. So you can relax about carryin' the whole world on your shoulders."

Rachel gave him a dry look as the older Billy snorted. "He's not wrong," he said. "I mean, there were a lot of ways this could go wrong. Sure, the Phoenix was one, but that's just one." He thumbed over his shoulder toward where his younger self and James had disappeared upstairs. "Second problem: if your dad had managed to get killed like he was expecting, there are ripple effects and a heartbroken Billy Maximoff who you do _not_ want to see taking up his grandfather's crusade, okay? It's _bad_."

"There's an understatement," Logan muttered, looking totally unapologetic when Billy gave him a look.

"Okay, third question," Nate said, turning to face Billy. "You said … what, he did this on purpose?" He had started out with the bluster they usually saw from Cable, but the question tapered off into almost a whisper at the end.

"Not _this_ ," Billy assured him quickly - glancing over to Hank, who was watching the conversation as well and looking like he did _not_ like anything he was hearing. "Honestly, it… well, it _started_ that way, and then it sort of shifted? Went from wanting to take Magneto down with him to wanting to take Magneto down and hoping he came out the other end. But like I said, when you start out planning something with no exit ..."

" _What_." Hank had a growl to his voice that the kids had never heard before.

"Just keep doin' what you're doin', furball," Logan said. "I'll explain later."

"You'd better."

"I'll even _share_ my beer with you," Logan told him.

"I wasn't aware interdimensional trips included your own case of beer," Hank said dryly.

"Trips across _town_ include my own case of beer. How else was he gonna get me to sit here and wait when the action was somewhere else? An' I can keep it to myself if you're gonna be snooty about it," Logan replied.

Hank shook his head at that, though it wasn't much longer before he finally let out a sigh and then came to sit close to the kids, though he was watching Logan. "Well," he said, "he's lost a great deal of blood, and I'll need to see him again to take out his _many_ stitches, but I can safely say our fearless leader won't be leaving us."

"For now," Nate said, his eyes narrowed as he looked toward the still-sleeping Scott.

Logan let out a breath on hearing the news. "I'll talk to him," Logan said.

"No offense, but you don't know the whole story here," Rachel said. "You died."

"Offense taken anyhow - you sure about what I know? I was by here not too long ago when he was makin' his crappy battle plan," Logan said. "Spent plenty of time talkin' him out of the worthless battle strategy he had laid out."

"He…" Rachel glared toward Scott. "We knew he wasn't taking it well with us being X-Men but…"

"He kinda got over that part," James said as he and Billy rejoined them - all cleaned up and in fresh clothes. "If he hadn't, he would have told me to quit the teams when I offered to."

"Then what the hell?" Nate asked, throwing his hands up.

"You offered to what?" Rachel said, spinning toward James, who gave her a significant look, though Logan was ready to disarm all of them.

"Cut your dad some slack," Logan said. "He's been stressed out for way too long. Even for him, that pushes you where you don't need to go." He looked between the four kids. "So. Who wants to tell me what they saw?"

The kids all shared a look before Rachel was the one to speak up. "Dad was fighting Magneto." She paused. "But I guess Magneto won. Dad was on the ground when we got there." She looked over at James. "James stopped him from killing Dad."

Logan turned to James and looked openly concerned. "What do _you_ remember?"

But James just shook his head at that - which was enough to get Logan to head over to him and drop his voice to a level the others simply had no chance of hearing. "You did what you had to do to save the people you love," Logan said. "So you _did the right thing._ Scott told me what the story was before this went down, it was a lot worse than you probably know. Erik was off his rocker. It had to be done. I'm just sorry it ended up bein' you that had to get your hands dirty. I offered to go with, but your dad got too upset to even try arguin' with him."

"I'm not surprised," James said, though he really wasn't sure what to _do_ with Logan. "He thinks he could have stopped you when you -" His breath caught in his chest. "- or the you that was here. The one that died."

Logan let out a breath and looked toward _his_ Billy. "Yeah. Well. He's wrong. There's only a couple ways that coulda gone if I'd thought you an' K were dead, and considerin' the way the feds were allowin' this crap to go on here, neither of 'em would have been good for anyone."

"None of us could have stopped it," Hank said in a weary tone that seemed even heavier because he'd just been working to save his old friend and treat his once-again-bandaged eyes. "Once the events were set in motion…"

"I'm sorry you got left without your whole family - and I don't mean just me and K," Logan said. "Jeannie and Kurt … Jubilee ... they all would've loved to see the three of you grow up."

"It is what it is," Nate said, frowning as he got to his feet to let out some nervous energy and just walk around a little.

Logan watched Nate for a moment, but James drew his attention back - and a few moments later, Logan, James, and Billy were sitting off to the side having a quiet conversation about anything James could think of to ask his father as he seized on the opportunity to _talk_ to him. And for Logan's part, he answered everything he could and made sure to reinforce his insistence that James not blame himself for anything that had happened when he'd slipped into the red. He was even sure to explain what James had experienced far better than even Hank had imagined was going on when that happened, how to process it when it happened, and how to _control_ it.

There was a knock at the door, and James hopped up to get it, knowing who would be on the other side, though he'd entirely forgotten to clue in his siblings until they were both frowning after him and the front door was open. "I didn't have to rush," Tony said, holding a metal box in one hand. "Newest upgrade was just waiting for him anyhow."

James let him in, and the two of them started toward the living room with their heads together as always, where the others were waiting. "He needs to see when he wakes up," James explained rather than get into anything but the bare facts. And when Tony did a double-take on seeing Logan, James simply redirected him with a quiet but serious 'later'. "Uncle Blue?" James called out. "Can you take care of Dad's eyes before he wakes up?"

Hank let his shoulders drop, and some warmth came back into his harried expression as he nodded. "Of course," he said. "No reason to compound things any more than they've already been compounded."

Tony crossed the span quickly and handed the box to Hank before he turned back to the kids. "Alright. Looks like you guys have storytime to get through. Spill. What's the deal here?"

All three of the Summers kids shared looks and, without even a telepathic conversation, nodded as Rachel said, "Solved a problem."

"Uh-uh, no. You're not allowed to pick up _his_ horrible story telling habits after a fifteen minute exposure," Tony said, pointing at Logan. "No. _Come on_."

"Are you asking as Uncle Tony or as a founding Avenger?" Nate asked slowly.

"Whichever one gets me a straight answer," Tony said as Logan chuckled, though it was clear right away that Tony wasn't actually _angry_ as much as he just… hadn't expected to see him or anything like what he was looking at. "Is this you coming back or passing through?" he asked Logan, though he did a clear double-take at the older Billy, too.

"Passin' through, more or less," Logan said. "Different reali-"

"Yeah, yeah, X-Men drama, got it," Tony said. "Just as long as there aren't any killer robots following you."

"Not last I checked," Logan answered, then turned pointedly toward the older Billy. "That a problem I should know about?"

"Not in this reality."

"Alright then," Tony said, and Logan sat back and put his feet up. "Just you two, then? Or is there a strike force hitting the helicarrier while my back is turned?"

Logan scrubbed one hand over the scruff of his cheek and shrugged openly, knowing it'd get Tony anxious. "Never know."

Tony looked as if he couldn't decide if he should stay or go. He wanted to know more, but he also knew that if James could get even an _hour_ with his biological father … or some iteration of him, Logan could answer things for him that no one else could. And he honestly hated the idea of stepping on that _at all_. "Okay. Good. Good talk. Logan, never thought I'd say it, but it's good to see you, circumstances notwithstanding. I'm just … gonna head out for now. Claim my deniability while I can. Just … let me know if we get any _other_ inter-dimensional visitors." He paused to give James a one-armed squeeze on the way out. "I'm going to try and ignore whatever comes across the news until I can hear it from you - but I'm not going to get into whatever this is and interrupt it. Call me if you guys need _anything_. But I'll be back soon _either way._ "

"I will," James promised. "Thanks. I'm sure it'll be sooner than later."

 _And thanks for giving Dad back his sight again,_ Rachel projected to Tony before he could leave - since of the three Summers kids, she was the one who remembered their dad in bandages after what had happened with the Creeds and losing the team. She might not have remembered everything, but that, she remembered.

He was sure to give her a quick, muted smile before he disappeared, leaving the group alone once again. And in no time at all, James was back with Logan and Billy, drinking in what he could and picking Logan's brain for stories and a lifetime of what he'd needed to _know_. Even if this wasn't _his_ Logan, he still needed the guidance and this was as close as he was ever going to get.

While Nate was gravitating toward that conversation, Rachel had a more thoughtful look on her face as she watched Hank working on their dad again. She didn't speak her mind, and she was shielding her thoughts from Nate, but an idea was tugging at her. She waited until Hank was done before she got to her feet and excused herself, slipping into their dad's room, only to emerge about ten minutes later looking much more upset than before, with four different envelopes, one for each of the kids and one that simply had 'Avengers' on the outside of it. She'd opened that one to read it over and saw that it was a handwritten will asking that the Avengers take care of the boys and work with all three kids to decide what, if anything, to make public of the _real_ story of what happened to the X-Men. And though she hadn't opened her own letter to know it, that story comprised the contents of the letters to Rachel and Nate, along with a personal note, while James just had a more personal letter, since he already knew the story.

Before anyone could react, Rachel had shoved the letter for the Avengers at Hank's chest. "We have to _fix this_ ," she said, sharply in a tone Jean had always used when she was about to go to war with the team.

"What is _this_?" Hank asked as he unfolded it.

"He left us _letters_ ," Rachel said, her eyes flashing with her power. "They were in a file on his desk that said 'just in case.'"

"You shouldn't read those," Logan said, trying to warn off the other kids.

Rachel spun to face him. "And what's your plan, huh?" she demanded. "He _won't_ get help."

"Like hell he won't," Logan shot back. "If I gotta drag him there myself, I will."

"Yeah, but you haven't heard the story about Emma Frost crawling in his-" Nate started to say.

"I _know_ all about Emma Frost," Logan said. "He'll get help."

Rachel narrowed her eyes before she scrunched the letters in her hand. "Good, because - because we can't lose him, okay?" she said, sounding both angry and scared all at once. "It's just been us since we were kids."

"I'll talk to him," Logan swore. "I won't go back until I make sure you're set."

"Set for what?" Scott asked in a tired breath, _finally_ coming out of sedation after all of the work Hank had put in.

"Regular visits with Hank to dislodge my foot from your-" Logan started, then cut himself off and tried to start over, though he wasn't able to keep his temper in check. "You left them _letters,_ Scott. What the _hell_."

Scott frowned as he tried to sit up a little, though he was too worn and too injured to do much. "Didn't know how it was going to pan out, and they had a right to know the truth," he said, then froze when he realized he wasn't in a hospital but in his own house - with the kids around him. And with new eyes, apparently. "What the hell…"

Logan gestured wordlessly to Billy but didn't break his gaze. "I am _never_ listening to you again," he said, sounding more angry than he actually was. " _You're_ not the one that's supposed to do dumb shit, Scott."

"Just tell me it worked," Scott said.

"You got help," Logan said. "That you _didn't_ ask for."

Scott frowned at that and then looked toward the kids, who were all watching him. "Are you guys alright?" he asked, looking at James because he could clearly remember the snarl James had made when he had put himself between him and Magneto - though that just had Rachel rushing over to Scott to attach in a hug, not that the boys were far behind her when the emotions were running _that_ high.

"Don't _ever_ do that again," Rachel said sharply, hiding her face in Scott's shoulder, though everyone knew she was crying.

Scott had his hands full trying to hug all three of them at once - especially when James almost had to be coaxed into the group while he was trying to give Rachel _room_. Scott was already getting stiff and sore, and with the IV going - he just didn't have the _range_ \- but he managed it all the same. "You weren't supposed to - I meant to come back. I had a plan in case-"

"In case you decided not to," Nate finished for him. "Dad…"

"No more missions, I swear," Scott said.

"We liked that part of it," James said. "It was the bad end result …"

"Yeah, that's usually how this works," Scott said, reaching out to touch James' shoulder. "I … I already had the plan in place. I had Alex and Corsair waiting in the wings to get me out. This was _not_ supposed to - after everything we talked about, I couldn't - James, I swear…" He let his hand drop along with his words and then closed his eyes. "No more missions like this, I promise. It's your turn to be the heroes. I'm stepping back. This was… just something … unfinished business."

"Yeah." James sighed on hearing it. "Alex wasn't close enough to help, Dad."

"I know," Scott said quietly. "I'm sorry, James."

"I'm … I'll be fine. I'm worried about you."

"I'm worried about _you_ ," he said. "All three of you. I told you Magneto is-"

"Not a problem anymore," Nate put in. "We kinda saved your life, so…"

Scott nodded when he heard it and then pulled all three of them tighter. "Of course you did. You're amazing. All of you. You're the X-Men."

It was the first time Scott had really said that in a tone that wasn't an accusation - and that just had the kids more attached to him than before, so the adults in the room stepped back to give them some privacy as a family.

"Billy," Scott called out over the top of the kids' heads - catching his attention before he could slip out of the room, "I'm sorry you had to see that. I really want to thank you for watching out for James." He tipped his head. "You don't have to stand on the sidelines, you know."

Billy didn't hesitate to rush over at the invitation, relieved and upset still and honestly _needing_ the connection as he latched on as well. He was just so relieved that there wasn't one _more_ loss that he couldn't do anything but hide in James and his family.

It wasn't until the kids felt like they were steady enough for _themselves_ to let go that Rachel was the one to approach Logan.

"If you can help…" she said uncertainty, still clearly emotional about the whole thing.

"I'll be sleepin' on the couch until he gets his head on a little better. He _will_ get some help if I have to pick him up and carry him there. But he needs the night anyhow to rest before I get after him."

Rachel nodded and wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand. "Okay."

"I'll keep watch. You kids just do whatever you need to and don't worry about anything."

"Yeah, my family is really good at not worrying," Rachel said with a dry attempt at humor.

"You know, in my experience, they all get tweaked out until they snap; then, they can't _help_ but relax. For a minute."

"I somehow doubt that's what's happening with Dad."

"No, that's blood loss," Logan agreed. "Same effect, though."

She let out a small laugh and then bit her lip. "I'm glad you came," she said. "The way he talked about you… I think you could get him to listen."

"If you think I'm joking about carryin' him if he wants to fight, you're out of your mind." Logan shook his head. "Hell, I'll go with him."

"I don't think you're joking," Rachel said. "Dad said you'd go through hell and back for someone you cared about."

"Birds of a feather, eh?"

She smirked at that and nodded. "Clearly." She turned on her heel. "Thanks. For… Dad."

"I gotta thank him for James," Logan said. "It's just what you do for your family."


	59. So Many Summerses

The only thing that Alex could say to keep his father from making a scene and landing a spaceship in the middle of Scott's neighborhood was that they'd get the whole family in even _more_ trouble than they already were with a display like that. Which was why they were dressed in _civilian_ clothes before Wanda magicked him, Lorna, Corsair, and herself to Scott's home - leaving Vision to watch Alex and Lorna's kids. It was a totally reasonable move, seeing as Alex didn't want them traumatized seeing their uncle in whatever state he might have been in after all the blood they found around Magneto. There was no _way_ all that blood had only been from Erik - and Alex could see it easily.

Still, Alex hadn't been expecting to arrive at Scott's home to find a fully-equipped emergency room worth of supplies in the living room around his brother, who was on a gurney and hooked up to every monitor known to man.

He also wasn't expecting to see an older version of his nephew, Billy, talking with freakin' _Logan_.

"What… what is even…?" Alex stared around the house. "What the hell is even _going on_?"

"Huh. Sounds like Nate. That explains so much," Logan said dryly.

"Billy?" Wanda stepped around Alex, frowning when she saw _another_ version of her son - the correct one - asleep with his head on James' chest and his arm across his stomach on the couch nearby. James had woken up when they arrived, but Billy had been sound asleep until he heard his mom call his name and he blinked sleepily with a raspy sounding 'Mom?' before he'd even woken up fully.

"Hi." The older Billy waved from where he was leaning against the counters and talking to Hank and Logan - but he only held the smile in for a second before he rushed over to hug her. "Hi, sorry. Hi, Mom. Different dimension. Still me."

Wanda still looked stunned, but she automatically returned the hug. "You… you must have brought Logan with you," she said at last.

"Mmhmm," Billy agreed as he held on tight for a few more seconds.

"Nice to see you, darlin'," Logan drawled out, though he didn't move.

"So… is anyone gonna tell me what's going on, or am I supposed to just … patch it together myself?" Alex said.

"Oh, right." Billy straightened up, cleared his throat, and launched into his explanation. "Hi, so, I can hop dimensions where I'm from. We had a recent experience with Apocalypse. The guy made me watch countless universes of terrible, unspeakable realities where there was _no_ hope and very little chance to live outside of his rule. I wanted to stop yours from getting any worse than what I already had to see of what had happened already. So… I brought myself and Logan to save Scott's life after his fight with Magneto went, you know, about as badly as it could have."

Wanda nodded, then glanced over at Scott. "How bad off is he? And what happened - exactly?"

"Well, he's not dying anymore," Rachel said quietly when no one spoke up first. "But, well…" She glanced toward James, not at all wanting to make him feel worse than he already felt but knowing that Wanda _needed_ the truth. "Magneto yanked Dad's _eyes_ out, and-"

"I didn't mean to kill him," James interjected suddenly. "I can't _remember_ it. I'm sorry - even if it doesn't help, that's all I can … I'm _sorry_." He was clearly upset about it, but he wasn't going to hide it from her, regardless of how she'd handle it. He didn't try to soften it … not when he was feeling so guilty about it, and not when he honestly expected her to simply whisk him off to stand trial in Genosha.

"It wasn't your fault," Billy insisted to James before he spun on his heel, one hand still on James' chest. " _It wasn't his fault_ ," he told Wanda. He moved to stand between his mother and James in a protective move that took James off guard entirely. "Grandfather - he - as _soon_ as James got in between him and Scott, he _stabbed_ James. _Knowing_ there was a dampener in play, he _stabbed him_. In the _heart_ , Mom." It was clear in his expression and tone that he was also still upset about what had happened, but for a completely different reason than James was upset.

"I was just trying to separate them," James said, sounding incredibly torn, though quiet. "That's the last thing I remember until _after_."

Wanda looked between the two of them before, slowly, she made her way over and rested a hand on each of their shoulders. She tried to pull them both in closer for a hug, but James resisted, stuck to the spot and wide-eyed. Billy, of course, all but melted into his mom, still grasping for support while he processed watching the attempted murder of his boyfriend and the actual murder of his grandfather, but James was shocked by her attempt and did _not_ want to intrude on Billy and his mother. And he stayed that way until Wanda said, quietly, "I wish it wasn't true, James, but I knew this would happen. Maybe not the details, but I knew he was going to get himself killed because he didn't know when to _stop_."

"I'm _so_ sorry," James replied in a breath.

"It's not your fault," Wanda promised. But when James still looked anguished over his actions, she leaned toward him, her eyes still shining. "I talked to Scott about this a long time ago. I'm only sorry he attacked you and forced you to be the one to stop him." She searched his expression and then pulled him to her with the free hand that wasn't holding onto Billy. "I'm so sorry, James."

At that, James melted into her shoulder and held on tight, completely off guard in her outlook. She should have been angrier. Or … something. _Not_ consoling him. But to James, that only meant that now, it was down to Lorna to be angry. He wasn't stupid enough to believe she'd take things as well as Wanda apparently had. He stayed right there until Wanda moved slightly, and then, he finally loosened up his grip on her, even if she didn't let _go_ of him yet.

"I'm pretty sure no one in this family can do anything that's not insanely dramatic," Alex said. "So you're continuing to fit in, kiddo … with both sides of it now, too."

"Case in point," Corsair said with his eyes narrowed, tipping his head toward where Scott was sleeping.

"Their conversation went south too fast to stop things or warn anyone," Lorna said suddenly.

Both Rachel and Nate turned toward Lorna with their whole bodies, mirroring each other as only siblings could do. "Wait," Rachel said, "you saw what happened?"

"Afterward, yes," Lorna said as she took in each of the kids that had been there, letting her gaze rest on Billy and James. "You don't really think that I _wouldn't_ check the surveillance after finding my father dead, do you?"

"Honestly surprised there _is_ surveillance," Nate muttered. "Dad's usually careful."

"Father has his own methods," Lorna said. "Or had. The fact remains, though, that neither of them were planning on that fight."

"Dad was, though," Rachel said. "He had ceramics… and letters… and…"

"Yes, he planned to fight him, but not at that moment," Lorna said. "He knew it would happen, but not just then, and not where he expected it." She held Rachel's gaze. "And no, I won't show you."

"I wouldn't have asked to see when things got… bad," Rachel said. "You could always project what you saw up to the start of the fight."

"Telepaths," Alex muttered over Lorna's shoulder. "Just like her mom."

"Yes, but that's _my perception_ of it. Not the actual tape," Lorna said. "I could mis-remember the things said and misquote it entirely."

Alex snorted as he put his arms around Lorna from behind. "Got ya there, Rach."

Rachel rolled her eyes at him, but on the other hand, she was glad to have more people around that could help with their _dad_ , so instead of rising to their bait, she gestured for them to join everyone else. "We're all waiting for Dad to rest before we do anything else, but honestly, I'm glad you're here," she told them.

"I can't think of why we wouldn't be," Lorna said.

"Yes, well." Rachel sighed and then went ahead and projected to the newcomers everything that had happened since they got home - including and especially the fact that she'd found a will and letters, just to impress upon them the _new_ problem they were facing.

 _I am so insulted that he wanted_ Avengers _to take over on_ my _nephews,_ Alex projected to Rachel, sure that it would get a smile out of her.

Rachel did smile, though she also had to point out, _You know that was his plan for if Magneto killed him, right?_

 _Yeah, I know,_ Alex replied. _I know all about Billy's exes too,_ Alex said. _And how overly sensitive Erik was for_ his boys _. There's no reason he'd allow me to take James in with a scenario like that._

_Then you know if that had happened, you'd be dead too, because you're his brother. So, you know, that's why he asked the Avengers to step in._

_You are taking my hypothetical sorrow and stomping on it - while also taking my hypothetical sadness and refusing me nephews._

_You've met my dad, right? I've been told I take after him._

"Me? _Nooooooo_ , never," Alex replied - out loud this time.

"Oh, good, he's being dramatic," Nate said dryly. "Got past the shock of Dad wanting to die faster than I thought. Hi, Uncle Alex."

"I believe you were accused of being my mini," Alex told Nate with a grin. "Lucky accusation." He clapped his hands together. "Going for a game of chicken on this … see who can be more ridiculous until _you_ tap out or do I need to be serious-er for another minute?"

"If you're going to do that, I'm going to have to tap out _now_ ," James said with a deep yawn, ready to crash hard now that some of the adrenaline was fading off.

"I'll come with you," Billy offered with a quiet smile.

"You don't have to," James said, and a moment later, Wanda spoke up as well.

"I was planning on offering you some time at home, sweetheart," she said to Billy as she brushed his hair out of his eyes.

Billy looked between them both with a slowly growing smile. "See, that's the thing," he said, then gestured around the living room. "I was trying to figure out how I ended up _here_ when I've never even _been here before_. And… I realized … I asked my spell to take us _home_." He smiled even wider at James. "I guess my home is your home."

James was at a clear loss for words as Billy squeezed his hand, both of them still within easy reach of Wanda. "That's the sweetest thing I think I've ever heard," Wanda said with a hand over her heart. "Will you be staying with James then, while we make arrangements?

Billy grinned at James and slipped over to put his arm around his back. "Yeah. I think I will."

"Probably best if all of you called it a night for now," Corsair said. "Go on, kids. I'm going to stay here with my boys and keep watch."

* * *

Wanda and Lorna hadn't stuck around for _too_ long after that- just long enough to be sure that Billy was alright, really, and then the sisters had left to deal with the fallout on Genosha leaving Alex and Corsair to help look out for Scott and see for themselves exactly how bad off he was. For a little while, anyhow.

Hank didn't leave until he had left _strict,_ crystal clear instructions on what was alright and what wasn't regarding Scott's care, though he swore he'd be back as quickly as he could if there was any backsliding in Scott's condition. With that, Logan insisted Hank go back to the tower and get some damn sleep. Which … was something Logan was willing to do for himself as long as Alex was around to keep an eye open for Scott.

"He's my brother, of course I'm going to stick around for him," Alex said. "Really, we've got it. You can just … go back to wherever-"

"Not your call," Logan said, crossing his arms. "When Billy says it's time to go, we'll head out."

"So … that's a thing in _your_ universe too, then, huh?" Alex said, which had Billy laughing outright not only at Alex's presumption, but at the expression Logan was wearing.

"No," the older Billy said, though he was grinning. "We just share a daughter between us."

"Yeah, that totally clears it up," Alex deadpanned as Rachel got Logan to at least step into Scott's office to look through the incoming intel like he'd asked about before Alex had started being _Alex_.

It was an easy bait, too … the older Billy and Logan both really wanted to see what the news was saying and what intelligence people were picking up about the drama in Genosha. Logan to see what was on the horizon and for Billy to see that they were on the right path, since he seemed to think they weren't out of the woods just yet.

Which left the original Summers boys with their father.

Corsair had his arms crossed, looking not only uncomfortable with the setting, but anxious … and there was something behind his eyes that wasn't entirely familiar to Alex. At least, not with his father wearing that expression. If he didn't know better, he'd think it was because Corsair had _regretted_ something… something he didn't consider until his oldest son was teetering between life and death on a hospital gurney.

Not that it was the first time for Scott to be in a position like that … he'd done that _many_ , many times … but this was the first time that Corsair had seen it. The years of hiding away from his sons in space were _finally_ starting to show on the old space pirate.

Alex reached over to rest a hand on Corsair's shoulder. "You can take a break, Dad. Get some sleep. I can keep watch over Scotty on my own just fine."

"I know you can," Corsair said, his voice constricted. "You two always have watched out for each other. I just …"

"I know, Dad. It's okay. You can take the second shift."

Corsair didn't know what to do, honestly, but he was grateful for the free pass to step aside all the same, so instead of acting like Scott or Alex would have - and insisted on staying with their injured kid, Corsair nodded to himself, thanked Alex, and headed off to find a place to crash for a while.

But that gave Alex a window to be able to talk to his brother when he woke up again in need of pain meds. So, Alex waited in the unsettling quiet that was only punctuated by the rhythmic beeping of the machinery attached to his big brother. He waited, turning the bottle of pain meds over in his hands slowly enough that the clicks of the pills against the plastic bottle weren't sharp enough to be distracting or a point of irritation. He waited, thinking to himself how very familiar this was to when they were kids and Alex did all he could to sit with his brother after the plane crash, crying and terrified while his big brother - his _hero_ \- couldn't wake up. He thought about how little time the doctors and nurses and officials gave him before they took him away from Scott, and how the last childhood memory he had of his big brother was of him lying in bed while the doctors, who thought Alex couldn't hear them, talked in the hall about how he would never wake up and how he was a lost cause.

He thought about a lot in those few hours in the middle of the night, but mostly, he thought about how even though they were grown, and even though Scott's kids were grown … he wasn't anywhere near ready to face losing his brother again. And he was so deeply in thought that he didn't notice that Scott had woken up again and was watching _him_.

Alex was so focused as he leaned forward on the couch, his elbows on his knees as he stared at the bottle of pills in his hands, frowning deeply at them, he didn't notice it as a few tears slipped down his cheeks. But that's what Scott woke up to …

"Hey," Scott said, his voice rough as he tried to sit more upright. "You okay?"

Alex sniffled and straightened up, the back of one hand already erasing any evidence that he'd been crying in spite of himself. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Alex said as he composed himself and sat back in his seat. "You scared the hell out of me, Scotty." As always, Alex had never seen the point in hiding his worries too much. "We saw the throne room … and the hall … and … I thought -" He cut himself off as his emotions got the better of him. "I thought I was supposed to help you. I was your back up and I didn't _know_. There wasn't even a way to _tell me._ "

"Alex," Scott said, trying to slow him down, but the more Alex tried to stop himself from speaking, the more it all tumbled out.

"You didn't wait," Alex said. "You never wait. And I _wanted_ to be the one to back you up and instead it … it was just like when we were kids and you were _fine_ one minute and then you were _gone_. You were _gone,_ Scott, and I was trying to figure out how that had even ... " He stopped again and tried to get it back together. "I know … you said your piece with the kids. And I understand it, but I gotta tell you, big brother - I can't take finding out from _anyone_ that you died again. I did that once and I never got over it. I never will. I know I've been in Genosha all this time, and I'm not around as much as I should be - and I _know_ you don't need me, and maybe it's selfish, but .. I don't want to be without my brother."

"Alex, stop," Scott said, his eyes wide. He tried to sit up better simply as a means to buy time for himself to think, then let out a long breath when he couldn't do that. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't _trying_ to- It happened too fast, and I thought I'd have more time," he tried to explain. "I didn't mean to leave you out. Really."

"I know, Scott. I wasn't trying to … I just had to tell you what it looked like from my side. It really doesn't matter, and I know. I do. You just _scared me_ , okay?" Alex sighed heavily. "Just forget it." He cleared his throat. "It's a little overdue for your painkillers."

"Yeah." Scott was quiet for a long time. "I'm sorry," he said again. "I screwed up."

"Yeah, you did," Alex said just as quietly. "But not the way you think you did."

The silence hung in the air between them for a long time as Scott stared at the pills Alex had given him, not ready to drift back off when his little brother was _that_ upset.

Finally, Scott said, "You know, travel to and from Genosha should be a little easier now."

Alex snorted a laugh. "Really? _That's_ what you took out of what I said?"

"You were the one saying you weren't around - which isn't true, for the record. You came over plenty."

Alex shook his head. "Take your meds, Scott."

Scott smirked, glad to see Alex looking at least a little better, then did, in fact, take the pills, leaning back as he waited for it to kick in. He was already starting to get drowsy after not too long, which meant he wasn't holding back his thoughts as he said, softly and with his eyes closed as he started to drift off, "I don't want to say goodbye to my brother either. Why do you think I couldn't leave a note for you?"

"Go to sleep, Scotty. I'm not going anywhere," Alex said.


	60. Two Families, One Crisis

Rather than let Tommy hang, not knowing what had happened in Genosha, Wanda and Vision made the decision to go talk to him in person in Westchester as soon as they left the Summers home. For them, it had been a _long_ day - one that the two of them were ready to close the books on and take a break from before handling the repercussions on Genosha. But before they could do that, they had to make sure that Tommy didn't find out what had happened from anyone but them.

Yes, there was all sorts of speculation, and Wanda knew that Tommy was smart enough to put the puzzle together on his own considering the players, but she still wanted to be the one to confirm family affairs rather than let him find out for _sure_ via the world news sources.

She wasn't surprised in the least to find that Tommy had been up waiting to hear from _Billy_ what was going on, so when she texted to tell him she was there in Westchester - in Storm's office - she didn't have to wait _at all_ before he zipped into the room looking tense and anxious, and Wanda was sure to give him a moment just to pull him into a quick hug - because most hugs with Tommy were quicker. Especially when he was tense.

"I don't know what your brother has told you, yet," Wanda said as she started their talk.

"Next to nothing," Tommy said. "Other than he couldn't talk to me because he was staying at the Summers' house tonight - which … _what_?"

Wanda smiled sadly as she cupped his cheek. "That isn't what I came here to tell you, but that is something you should discuss with your brother." She took his hand and led him over to a chair where the three of them could sit and talk, even if every second standing still had Tommy more tense and his foot jiggling a little faster. "I'm sure you won't be entirely surprised to hear it, considering all that you know, and all that's happened in recent months, but -"

"Grandfather's dead, isn't he?"

Wanda's eyebrows lifted in surprise, and she nodded. "Yes. It happened just a little while ago on Genosha."

"Cyclops did it," Tommy said, nodding. "I thought he'd have to the way things were headed. That's why he went, isn't it? You knew what was going on, right? I know you had to."

"Yes, I knew what was brewing, but how long have you known?"

Tommy shifted in his seat. "It was pretty clear someone was going to have to do something after they came to Genosha. Did Cyclops survive? Is that why Billy's staying with them? This is bad, right?"

His questions were rapid fire, as always, but one thing that would always be a stark contrast between Tommy and Pietro was the simple fact that Tommy had _waited_ to hear what had happened. He hadn't rushed off to the scene of the crime himself to see what had happened, or to decipher the clues for himself. He _trusted_ his family to tell him and to spare him the misery that would have come from seeing it first hand.

"Cyclops lived," she said gently. "But Billy plans to stay with them while they recover from what happened." She rested her hand on his arm. "I was planning to bring both of you home while we make arrangements for the funeral, but considering how things stand for your brother, and how much I _know_ you care for Mia, I won't _force_ you to come home, though I would very much like you to. Just for a few days while we figure out how to move forward."

Tommy's foot jiggled a little more aggressively as Wanda laid out the more intimate details on what had happened, though the more he heard, the more plainly concerned Tommy was … _for his brother_. "Yeah, of course, but … can I talk to Billy first? I _will_ come home for a little while, but … listen, I know he's all wrapped up in James right now, and okay, I get it, but he's going to _need_ to get away from _them_ for a minute too. We'll _both_ come home for a while."

Wanda smiled more warmly, though the weariness of the last twenty four hours of worry and stress were showing at her eyes. She cupped his face and nodded. "Of course. I'll be looking for you both."

"I'll call before we head your way," Tommy promised, already determined to keep the rest of his family from falling into the same habit his Grandfather did when it came to taking care of Genosha. And if Billy wasn't going to be able to do it _right_ when the time came, Tommy had no trouble stepping in .. but that was likely _far_ down the road, he was sure. _After_ their mother had gotten tired of being in charge of things and fixing all that Grandfather had twisted.

* * *

At the Summers house, the kids all woke up to the smell of coffee drifting up from the kitchen. Nate was the one who got downstairs first, just a few steps ahead of the others. Logan was sitting at the kitchen table with a newspaper and a cup of coffee watching over everything and waiting for everyone else to get moving. Alex was passed out on the couch, sleeping fitfully after being up most of the night watching over his brother, and surprising everyone, Corsair was sitting up next to Scott trying desperately to find something to talk about as the two of them waited for Corsair's crew to check in. They had to decide on where the pick up was going to be, though it was already leaning to Westchester for privacy issues.

"Oh, okay," Nate said, tipping his head to the side before he got a bagel out for himself. "Hi, Logan. That's still weird."

"Mornin'," Logan replied. "You got no idea how weird it is." He watched the three kids as they each got their own breakfasts started.

Rachel waited with Nate at the toaster, but as soon as Billy and James showed up, too, James simply poured himself some coffee - and then held his breath before he made his way over to sit near Logan. Everyone there, including Logan, knew that the kid was anxious about _trying_ to talk to him, but they all ignored James' nerves since … he _really_ needed the chance to get to know who Logan _really_ was. As a result, the whole vibe in the kitchen was one of awkward, muted nerves with everything that had gone on. And since Billy had stayed over - James and Logan weren't the _only_ dynamic that was a little off in the Summers home.

Rachel, Nate, and Billy were in no rush to make it to the table, and the three of them took a moment to chat telepathically about _a lot,_ including the two ferals at coffee.

 _So I guess, if you consider where James is as 'home', it's high time we had the intentions talk, huh?_ Rachel projected, sure to have Nate in the loop with her for this little talk. The two of them had apparently gotten pretty serious _very_ fast, and there really hadn't been a good time for Rachel to play her big sister card. But now? All the drama that had gone down in Genosha could easily sink them. Especially when none of them knew what the repercussions were going to be yet.

 _Yeah, probably as good a time as any,_ Billy agreed with a heavy sigh. He was expecting teasing for this kind of talk … not for it to happen when it was _serious_. Not when everyone was still freshly traumatized and Billy was still feeling as if his head was spinning from _shock_.

 _So …_ Rachel said. _Are the two of you alright? I know he's just as much in shock as you are - for different reasons, but still. Did you two talk much last night?_

 _Not really_ , Billy replied. _But we didn't really do_ anything _. I know he was exhausted but I don't think he slept much._

 _Okay, I needed to know that,_ Rachel said. _But I was asking about you, too. Nothing about what happened last night is okay._

 _And we're not_ just _hassling you over James_ , Nate added, though both Summers telepaths were leading the way to the table so they could sit down, eat, _and_ continue their discussion. _It's not just about being teammates, either. You had a different view of what we saw. Your focus was wildly different .. and considering everything …_

 _Our dad, your grandfather, and our brother's whole …_ snap _,_ Rachel said, making it clear they were still processing all of it too. _We need to know where you are so we can help if you need it._

 _But we also want to know where things stand with you and our brother._ Nate turned his head toward Rachel and smirked because when he'd looked up, both James and Logan were watching the three of them with nearly identical expressions. _They're onto us, by the way._

 _Yes, I noticed as much_ , Rachel answered, shaking her head. _Before we came to sit down, actually. And they're doing their own thing anyhow._

The boys glanced up jut in time to see that though it looked silent, James and Logan, were, in fact having a conversation … it was just too quiet for anyone else to hear.

 _Oh, I see how it is,_ Nate grumbled to himself, even if he was sharing with his sister and Billy. _At least when we're talking telepathically, it's not_ that obvious _that we're doing it._

But at that, Billy tried and failed to stop a full on snigger that drew Logan and James' attention. He looked up across the table, grinning and waved one hand. "Your brother … _is hilarious_."

"Yeah, okay," James said, frowning between them, though he took a moment to project to Rachel, too. _What are you doing?_

_Don't worry about it. You don't know how long you're going to have with Logan - get past your nerves already and just … talk to him._

_I'm trying,_ James replied. _I don't know where to start._

_So tell him that. He really does want to help you._

James once again looked between his siblings and Billy _Just take it easy on him, would you?_

Rachel scoffed - both mentally and telepathically, then turned her attention back to Billy and Nate while Logan drew James into a quiet conversation almost as if he knew what Rachel and Nate were up to.

"Okay, so … Logan, is it alright if my girlfriend comes over?" Nate asked suddenly as he broke away from the telepathic discussion when he heard the tenor of what Logan and James were discussing. "We were talking last night and she's kind of freaked too and we figured if you're talking to Dad, we'd just take a couple cars and go to Westchester…sounds like where Corsair and uncle Alex will be going anyhow. You know. For one to go to space, and the other to go back to Aunt Lorna. And … Billy needs to talk to his brother, too."

Logan shifted how he was leaning on the table and rested his chin in the palm of his hand as he watched Nate. "As long as you clear it with Scott, what the hell would you need to ask me for?"

"Well, Dad's still pretty out of it… "

"I said I wasn't goin' anywhere until I know he's got help lined up at _least_."

"Okay, well, I'll tell her to come over then. We probably ought to go to Westchester anyway because Kitty called Storm and everyone is kind of freaking out so… damage control."

"Why haven't they come by already, I wonder?" Logan said, smirking. "Or do you think that maybe - _just maybe_ \- Wanda and Hank already settled that out for you?"

Nate shrugged. "You haven't seen Storm get freaked over stuff like this."

"Like hell I haven't. You wanna speed things along with your dad, ask Warren to donate a pint."

"O...kay. I mean, other than the massive guilt trip of having Warren over to give him dirty looks, what's the deal?"

"Angel blood can heal other people. It'd speed Scott through the stitches and internal injuries, and I won't feel so bad if we start yellin' at each other."

"Okay," Nate said, one eyebrow raised.

"New guy would be faster and closer," James said, mostly to his coffee cup.

"Yeah," Rachel agreed. "But there's no way Dad would allow him to come here and he's not strong enough to travel if what I heard out of Uncle Blue is still true."

"Then I guess we're getting Warren," Nate said, still frowning. "Apparently."

"Just have 'im flutter his little feathers on over - won't take 'im half an hour."

"Um, it's a long drive and Billy's still worn out from all the spell casting he did last night," Nate said. "What, do they have flying cars in your universe?"

"His wings busted?" Logan asked.

"No, but he's kind of conspicuous, and we're really just starting to get the X-Men going, you know?"

Logan frowned deeper at that. "No, I don't."

"That's kind of the whole point of the _school_? People who can't control or hide their powers can go there for sanctuary - or Genosha, I guess, now that Wanda and Lorna will be running it - and that's why Rachel and James and I restarted the X-Men. You know, so people can stop thinking mutants are dangerous and everyone can start _living_ again?"

Logan closed his eyes and just started rubbing his temples. "Yeah. Alright. Man, you guys got screwed over here."

"Yeah, well, we're trying to fix it, okay?"

"Not a criticism," Logan said. "Just … hate to see you havin' to deal with so much stupid in one place."

"Hey, it's kept us alive," Nate said, feeling like he had to explain it. "It's stupid, but I mean, Dad and the first X-Men weren't going to come back after all that, so-"

"Again, not criticizing, mini-Slim."

"Seriously?" Nate looked down at himself. "I'm finally bulking up!"

"Have you looked in a mirror?" Logan countered, raising one eyebrow.

"Just because _James_ went straight to muscle-bound when he got _his_ powers-"

"No idea where that came from," Logan said straight-faced. "Almost like you take after your fathers or something."

Nate rolled his eyes but didn't say anything further to Logan - especially since it looked like he and James were very quietly chatting again. The doorbell rang and Logan smirked as Nate rushed to get it.

"Ohmigosh it's all over the news," Kate gushed, flinging her arms around Nate's neck as she tumbled through the door and kicked it closed behind her. "Are you guys okay? Is your _dad_ okay? What the heck is even happening? I've heard, like, five hundred rumors already! Tommy and Mia were blowing up my phone _all night_ as the news came in! Billy hasn't been returning my texts! I had _no news!_ "

Nate shook his head. "Hi, gorgeous," he said. "It's a long story. Billy stayed here last night. We're all okay and we're just having breakfast right now. I gotta warn you about the other-dimension James' birth dad-"

Logan stared for a second at Kate - and then positively fell apart laughing to the point of tears as he held one arm across his stomach.

"Um, James, your other-dimension birth-dad is insane, did you know that?" Kate asked, scrunching up her nose at Logan as he kept right on laughing.

"Mmmm… I think it's just because you're funny looking," James said with a smirk - entertained just from how _hard_ Logan was laughing, which was enough to get Logan to at least _try_ to get it under control … not that it helped much. But it was just more confirmation of the memories Billy had shown him, so James was drinking it in.

"What's going on?" Scott asked - waking up from the fog Hank had put him under with all the painkillers because he hadn't heard Logan laugh like that in far too long.

"Logan took one look at Kate and fell apart," James called out to Scott - which had Logan losing the battle to keep it under control all over again.

"I don't even know what's going on," Kate grumbled. "Hi, Scott."

"Hi, Kate. He probably knows a different version of you."

Logan was nodding at that - then took a chance and dove into an _old_ code the team used before Scott had even left for X-Factor to clue him in on his reality's Kate - and who she was married to, snickering the whole way through it.

Scott froze and then started to snicker along with him. "Really?"

Logan was grinning broadly as he nodded. "Same age as my Billy."

"Good because otherwise I'd have to have a word with him."

"Oh, there's still a helluva age gap," Logan said low.

"You're on his case?"

"Nah, not too bad. It's only a little bigger gap than me and K." He grinned at Scott. "But K argues that it's a bigger _proportionate_ issue."

"It definitely is."

Logan was still snickering about it as Nate and Kate stared between the two of them. "You know what the old excuse was," Logan said. "Parentage and all that…."

By that point, Scott was openly chuckling to himself, which made it hard for the kids to want to break it up - even if they had no idea what was going on.

"So." Nate looked between them. "We're going to go get Warren? You guys just… do whatever this is."

"Oh, man, he doesn't even know what it's like to laugh. What the hell, Slim?" Logan teased.

"No, you don't get to put that on me. You just showed up at a bad time. You missed the part where he was purposefully failing history to set me up with his teacher," Scott said.

" _History_?" Logan said, though he wasn't sure if he was going to start laughing again or not as he stared at Nate in open disbelief.

"Hey, I got my grade back up," Nate defended. "Dad won't let me live it down."

"You. _You_ were failing _HISTORY_?" Logan stared at him for a moment then fell apart even harder than before.

"On _purpose_ ," Nate insisted. "What the heck is even happening right now?"

"I'm gonna die here," Logan said between breaths.

"Don't you dare," Scott said.

Logan was wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes. "Don't be so serious Summers. It's just air. I can live without it for a while."

"Sure you can."

"Holy hell," Logan said as he looked over at Nate, _still_ wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes as he tried to keep from laughing. "You got any other hilarious surprises for me?" He let his voice drop to a whisper. "Failing history. How the hell…"

"I don't know why my whole life is so funny to you, but I'm just going to go now," Nate said, pointing at the door.

Rachel shook her head as she tipped her head for James to join them and projecting to him: _They need to talk. Alone_. For an instant James looked crestfallen, at least until Logan quietly nodded and whispered just low enough for him to hear it as he encouraged him to go with them - and promised not to leave while he was gone. James still looked reluctant, but he simply agreed to go with Billy while Rachel made sure to kiss Scott's cheek. "We'll be back soon, Dad," she promised, then projected to Logan, _Thanks for whatever this is that's making Dad laugh, because it's been way too long since that happened._

In response, Logan smiled her way then focused enough to project the image of who Kate was in his universe - and who _Nate_ was, too. _It's hilarious,_ Logan told her.

 _Time traveler failing history… yeah, I see it now,_ she laughed.

 _Go on. I'll make sure he eats something and gets his meds,_ Logan promised.

 _Thanks,_ Rachel said before ushering the others out the door - not that they were ready to leave, but they really wanted Logan to talk to their dad, since they were kind of getting desperate for ways to _help_ him.

As the door closed, Logan got up to refill his coffee - and didn't ask before he brought one for Scott, too. "You got some damn good kids, you know."

"I know," Scott said. "Every one of them is amazing." He looked toward Logan as he took the coffee mug. "James is a genius. I don't know if that's true in your world, but we got him tutors, made sure he got in the right programs-"

"Yeah, he's a genius in ours too," Logan said, nodding. "Got plucked up and tested by Stark when he was little. The two of 'em get along _way_ too well." He let out a breath and shook his head. "Course, mine's goin' through a knothole right now. Nice to see him smiling a little here."

"Billy has been great for him," Scott said. "They really are good together."

Logan nodded at that. "The one in my reality … well. He had a great girl. They were head over heels. Totally devoted. And up until not _too_ long ago, he was ready to propose."

Scott frowned. "What happened?"

Logan lifted his coffee cup just as he answered. "Sinister. Apocalypse. _Shadow King_ , too, but he likely doesn't remember that part. Same old story. He's pretty convinced he picked up my curse by how she died."

Scott winced. "I'm sorry. We haven't heard from Sinister in almost twenty years, and there's not a day goes by I'm not glad he's gone."

"I'll have Billy look into it when he comes by again," Logan said. "Just to be sure. James isn't in a good place back home at all. Had his girl die in front of him, barely saved his big sister and _your_ son before Sinister took him right to Apocalypse." Logan shrugged. "Walked right into it. No way to get out, nothin' left to fight with… and because of it, he ended up with an adamantium skeleton and a death spore in his head."

Scott stared at Logan. "I… 'sorry' doesn't even start to cover…"

"Not somethin' for you to apologize for," Logan said. "We got him back. Rachel went full fire bird and between Lorna and Doc Strange, they got the spore out."

"That's Rachel's greatest fear," Scott said in a whisper. "That she'll end up like Jean - consumed and unable to stop it."

" _You_ talked her out of it," Logan said pointedly. "K and I both couldn't do a damn thing. Half dead at the time."

"Well, Apocalypse," Scott said, though he was frowning hard the more he heard.

"You and I killed Apocalypse and now, I'm doing everything I can to get _my_ James on track," Logan said seriously. "His healing was burnt out and he made a damn good attempt on himself when it was all said and done. If we didn't have a kid on staff that can heal people, I know damn well I wouldn't have him anymore." He looked up at Scott. "I'm a little sensitive about that crap right now."

"Logan, I know how it looks, but I swear, this was just - it went south on me-"

"I know," Logan said. "The trouble's that you even entertained the thought of it. Once you do that, it gets easier to keep that in your back pocket as an option."

"I can't hurt the kids," Scott swore.

"That's great. Glad to hear it. But what happens when the kids are grown? You gonna fall apart again?"

Scott pressed his mouth into a thin line and leaned back where he was propped up. "No."

"You're still way over operatin' levels of stressed out," Logan said. "I meant it when I told your kids that I'm stickin' around until you find some _help_." He pointed one finger at Scott. "And don't you dare try to bring up Emma Frost as an excuse not to."

"Look," Scott said, "I'm not putting myself in that situation again. Last time around, I asked for help and got an affair instead."

"You need the damn help. Try someone that's _not_ a damn telepath for a change. Or better yet, someone who's actually a shrink."

"I'm fine, Logan."

"Like hell you are."

"I'm _fine_ ," Scott insisted.

"Then I guess I'll be stayin' for a lot longer than I thought. Better have Billy bring me my wife and the little ones. We can let both of our James' compare notes. It'll blow your Billy's mind." He leaned back and kicked his feet up with a laugh. "Might be exactly what you want."

Scott pinched the bridge of his nose. "You - no, you need to go take care of _your_ James."

Logan waved a hand. "Billy'll bring me back within a few hours of when I left."

"Who the hell am I going to ask for help anyway?" Scott shot back.

"Look in a damn phone book, Scotty. Pick one."

"The phone book isn't going to tell me which one of those shrinks is going to tell an agency about _my family_."

"Do you hear yourself? You're panicking on what ifs. Pick out a few. I'll run 'em down myself and see if they're alright."

"It's not just a distant possibility, Logan. We almost got picked up because of a _school nurse_. I'm not taking that risk just because I got messed up in the line of-"

"Damnit, Scott. Pick _half a dozen_ and I will _check_. Them. out."

Scott stared at Logan for a long time before he let out a frustrated noise. "Fine," he said. "Fine. I don't care. You pick one. I don't care."

Logan got up and found Scott's phone book then brought it over to sit down next to him. The two of them shared a look before Logan cracked open the book to the right section and started flipping through the _dozens_ of pages of therapists with Scott looking overly smug at the vast number of options.

Logan was already getting irritated since … yeah. Sure. The sheer volume was an issue, but when he flipped the pages back to start at the beginning, he stopped about half way through and stared at _one_ little ad on the page. He frowned, read it again and then tapped the ad. "That one. That's the one."

Scott waved him over so he could see the name on the add. "Craig Hale? Never heard of him."

"Yeah. That's the one. Call him."

"I don't know who he is where you're from, but you have no guarantee-"

"Just … _call him_." Logan shook his head. "You gotta follow your gut sometimes. That's the one."

"If your gut gets a weapons program called down on my kids, so help me God-"

"This guy won't have a damn thing to do with anything like that," Logan said.

Scott frowned Logan's way and then drummed his fingers against the phone book. The truth was he didn't want to call - and he didn't even know what to say.

"I swear to God, Summers. I'll make the damn appointment for you."

"Gimmie that phone. _You will not_ ," Scott said.

Logan tossed Scott the phone. "I will if you won't."

Scott rolled his eyes at Logan but dialed the number anyway, surprised when even in the city he got a very deep Southern accent on the other end of the line - though considering that Nate's teacher had one that deep, and so did Rogue and Remy, maybe it was just a pattern of holding onto it.

The man seemed perfectly polite as Scott tried to explain himself. "Just… dealing with some stuff," he said. "New patient, looking around…"

"Fresh trauma, PTSD, _major_ depression …" Logan said in a tone loud enough that Scott was frowning at him.

Scott shook his head. "No, that's - just whenever is good for you-"

"TOMORROW IF THERE'S AN OPENING," Logan called out.

On the other end of the phone, Craig Hale paused. "Who's that?"

"An obnoxious old friend."

"Your guardian angel," Logan muttered quietly for Scott to catch and smirk at in spite of his insisted irritation.

Scott was shaking his head as Craig rustled some papers on the other end. "My earliest appointment tomorrow is at 11. Can you come in before that?"

"I'll carry you over my shoulder if I have to," Logan warned quietly.

Scott gave him a dry look for that one before he nodded into the phone. "Will 10:30 work? I don't want to take up too much of your time."

"Make it 9:00. I try to leave myself wiggle room in case things run over."

"Alright," Scott said. "I'll see you then." He hung up the phone and then shook his head at Logan. "There. Are you happy now?"

"I'll be happier when you get through the whole appointment." Logan smirked at him. "I'll drive ya."

"I can-" Scott stopped and looked down at his IV. "Fine."

"I'm sure Billy'll be back to keep track of the kids while you're down there, too."

"Logan, really, I can handle it," Scott said.

"I'm makin' an effort here, Slim. I'm gonna see it through."

Scott let out a sigh and covered his eyes with one hand. "I'm torn between frustration and how much I missed this. And don't you _dare_ tell the version of me that you've got I said that."

"Like you'd ever believe me."

"I might if you said you'd been dead nearly fifteen years and I was there for it."

"He'd probably ask if he was the one to do it."

"He's not entirely wrong," Scott said.

"Yeah, that ain't it." Logan let out a breath and leveled with Scott. "Not too proud to admit it, but I've tried before. Plenty of times. I'm telling you: you couldn't have stopped me- and it wasn't anywhere close to your fault."

Scott gestured to his face. "There was a buildup of misery. And yes, if I'd seen it, I could have at least warned someone. Jean could have stopped you."

"Lets get something straight - that might have worked for a minute, but I doubt even Jeannie could _stop_ me if I'd decided that was what I needed to do." Logan let his shoulders drop. "You said I thought my whole family was gone and that I'd been forced to torture my team. You would have had to have shown me James before you _knew_. You did all you could."

"James stopped _me_ ," Scott said.

"Good."

"He said he'd quit the team if being on it meant…" Scott let out a breath. "The team means too much to them to ask them to do that."

"But you thought about it."

"I did."

"And that boy would have done it. _For you._ "

"He's a good kid," Scott said with a quiet smile. "But I'm the one who raised him. It's my job to give those kids the lives they deserve, not ask them to give up what they believe in because I'm a wreck."

"So fix your wreck. You'll enjoy 'em a helluva lot more."

"I already made the appointment, Logan."

"Yeah. That's step one. And if it wasn't so damn early - and you weren't on painkillers, I'd Irish up that coffee for you."

At that, Scott finally did smirk. "Next time."

"You're on," Logan agreed.


	61. Thicker Than Water

The kids had started their trek to Westchester as a group - and they did, in fact, need to break into two cars to get everyone _there._ Kate and James both had cars to drive, and while Nate and Kate were holding a telepathic conversation between them, the Summers boys were _all_ piled into the Jeep. Which left Rachel, Kate, and Billy to chat on the way there.

No one had expected James to relinquish the keys of the Jeep to Corsair, but … a pirate captain _needed_ to be in control, as it turned out - and even his adopted grandson wasn't about to argue with him on the matter. They'd barely been in the driveway for thirty seconds before it happened, and both Kate and Billy had been _highly_ entertained when Corsair turned to James with a raised eyebrow look and his hand out waiting for the keys. After maybe only a second or two of consideration longer than what Nate, Alex, or Scott would have done, James held his gaze before he caved just like any _other_ Summers boy would do. He wordlessly handed the keys over before opening the door and climbing into the back with Nate - leaving Corsair and Alex in the front.

"So much testosterone in that poor little Jeep," Rachel said in a sigh as she stretched her legs out on the backseat of Kate's beetle. "Poor lambs. Just think of them all scrunched up … long legs everywhere. And a pirate at the wheel."

"I just can't believe your family defaults to 'follow Corsair'," Billy said. "James hasn't said more than a passing word or two about him."

"They … haven't really gotten along too well," Rachel said. "Corsair doesn't fully understand _why_ Dad adopted him when he had his hands full with us. James thinks Corsair is all hot air. But he's also part of the family, so he does what we would do. For the most part."

"Do you default to follow the space pirate too?" Billy asked.

"No. I default to being female and related to him; therefore, I am a pure mystery that he cannot _hope_ to comprehend."

"So … like every other boy in your family?" Kate giggled.

"More or less," Rachel said dryly. "They try so hard. All of them."

"No one is complaining," Billy said, though his voice was a little rough and he was clearly still exhausted from the last twenty-four hours. So much of it had gone by in a rush; so much of it was still foggy in his mind's eye. The details were muddled, and he _needed_ to focus on the details, because he was on his way to talk to his twin - and he knew he needed to remember everything he could for Tommy's sake.

As if on cue, his phone chimed, and Billy grabbed his phone out of his pocket to check his texts. Naturally, it was Tommy - and naturally, he was bouncing off the walls wondering what was taking them _so long_.

"Is your brother okay?" Rachel asked.

"So far, yeah," Billy said. "He's irritated that I didn't bring him along, too. But … I don't know. Nothing about the past day has been okay. I'm _glad_ he wasn't there. But if he had been? At least I wouldn't have to tell him about it secondhand."

Rachel considered him for a long moment, staring at the side of his head from the backseat.

"Someone has a solution," Kate half sang, then looked up at the rearview mirror to see Rachel staring back at her. "Your brother is just as bad about leaning on his telepathy as you are. I know what you're thinking, mkay?"

"It's just a thought," Rachel defended. "Everyone would have to okay it, and honestly, considering the source material? It might be best if Betsy did it - not me."

"What are you suggesting, exactly?" Billy asked, turning in his seat to face her better, but Kate answered before Rachel could.

"Telepathic mindshare. It would save you the words. He could see it all from your point of view - you know, unless your point of view involves too much of looking at your boyfriend's butt-"

"Not while - not _during,_ anyhow," Billy managed to tease back, though for as worn out as he was, it wasn't an entirely normal level of teasing.

"It's not a bad idea," Kate said. "Even for non-flirting things, _I guess_."

"I just thought it might help when the emotion is so heavy," Rachel said. "It's not _necessary_ , but I know how Tommy wants the fastest possible means. And honestly? That would be most private - but you _both_ would have to agree to it."

Billy shrugged lightly, his focus more on things far away from where they were. "I'll do it if he will."

"Then I guess we'll just have to bring it up to him when we get there," Rachel said, then reached forward to rest a hand on Billy's shoulder before she leaned forward to wrap him up from behind in as good of a hug as she could manage from the backseat. "Hey. Team or not, we're all here for you. You know that, right?"

Billy covered her arms with one hand and tried to hide the smile. "Thanks," he said quietly, though words were failing him at the moment. He was busy thinking of how he'd begin to tell Tommy anything about what had happened when he was still having extreme trouble processing it himself. All of the kids that had been on the island and seen it happen were having trouble with that.

They'd all seen fights, and they'd heard about innocents killed, but none of them had crossed that line, and none of them had watched someone die - that they could remember, anyway.

* * *

In Westchester, at the school, Tommy was pacing a line as slowly as he was able, though that was still pretty fast for most people, and Mia was getting tired watching him.

"They'll be here any minute," Mia said, though she wasn't going to leave him for an instant if she could help it. "And until then … you know …"

Tommy paused just long enough to steal a kiss that did seem to slow him down a little. He was at a loss for words, mostly from nerves waiting to see his brother and make sure he was alright, but he still had to hear how Billy had been involved - in his own words.

He was worked up enough that even with Mia doing her best to distract him, Tommy was still bouncing on the balls of his feet until his brother finally showed up. Once he knew they were at the school, he zipped over to them, confused at first to see _two_ cars - and an entirely wrong Summers at the steering wheel of the Jeep, too. But when he saw that Billy wasn't in the Jeep …

"Weird," Tommy said to himself before turning his attention to Kate's car. "What _took_ so long?"

"I think I'm burnt out," Billy said as he held the door open for Rachel to climb out too. "Or I would have been here last night. I'm sorry. It was just …"

"You have to tell me _everything_ ," Tommy said sternly. " _Everything_." Even though he was obviously upset, he still sounded more worried than anything else, which had Kate and Rachel glancing at each other.

"We were talking about that," Rachel said. "It would be faster and more complete if you just _saw_ it," she suggested. "I'm not sure I can do it myself right now, but …"

"Let's go see Psylocke then," Tommy said without looking away from Billy. "Are you _okay_?" he demanded of his brother.

Billy gestured openly. "Yeah, I mean … not entirely."

Tommy frowned, and crossed over to his brother, resting a hand on his shoulder before he picked him up and zipped off to find Betsy, leaving Mia with her tail twitching behind her with the Summerses. She waved her fingertips at Alex and Corsair. "Hi."

"Hi," Alex said, smiling more easily as he pulled her over into a bear hug that Mia _adored_. It had been far too long since she'd seen the blond elder Summers. "Are you going to take a turn coming to see me before I get old and gray? I'll bet you'd _love_ surfing, too."

"Maybe someday," Mia agreed, glad to have Alex to snuggle with for a moment. At least until Corsair cleared his throat waiting for Alex to introduce him.

"You haven't met my dad, Mia," Alex said, steering her to face Corsair, but in a way that wouldn't force her to let go from the snuggle.

"Hi," Corsair said, though it was clear he was trying to decide what he thought of the young lady. But Mia made his mind up for him with her greeting .

"Hi, Grandpa Space Pirate," she said, which had Alex snickering and Corsair rolling his eyes, though since Nate was reunited with Kate already, Corsair went for the closest kid, who happened to be James.

"I suppose this is your doing?" he teased.

"Sure, why not?" James replied automatically, though Rachel was more than happy to step in.

" _No_ , we all call you that. You know it, too," she said as she took his arm. "Come on. You have some time before your crew gets here. Why don't you give me a few minutes, huh?"

"That would be my pleasure," he said with a grin. "You're probably the one that will be watching over Scott anyhow, huh?"

"Pretty sure that'll be a group effort too," she said. Rachel peeked over her shoulder to Alex, who had snagged James under one arm and still had Mia curled up with the other as he directed them toward the greenhouse.

"You can come find me when you're ready to leave," Alex said to Corsair. "I'm going to take _this one_ to see Storm. Try not to torture Rachel too much."

While Corsair monopolized Rachel's time, and the twins started their mental share through Betsy, Kate and Nate were left standing there together to catch up as well. "I'm _so_ glad you didn't go with," Nate told her quietly. "The whole thing had gone to hell before we showed up, too."

Kate sighed and leaned into him, knowing for a fact that none of the Summerses had processed things and knowing from the tenor of the mental conversations they had how stressed he was. "You wouldn't let me go to Genosha, so it's not like there was much choice," she pointed out. "But I _do_ wish I'd been there, because it sounds like you needed someone level-headed around."

"Wait. You mean you're _admitting_ that I get to say you _can't_ do some things? SInce when?"

"Since this _one_ time when you _and_ my parents _and_ Storm _and_ Cap all threatened to take away all team privileges if I risked my life provoking Magneto on his own turf?"

"When has that _ever_ stopped you before?"

She shrugged. "Since I realized you get just as stressed as your dad if you think you're gonna lose someone," she said. "And with your dad going out there, it just… didn't feel like an option if I wanted to keep everyone from having a nervous breakdown."

"If you weren't so close to right, I'd argue that," Nate said, then pulled her a little closer to bear hug her properly. "So … let's find a quiet spot and not talk, huh?"

"Wait, you admit I'm right and then take words out of the equation so you don't have to do the full admission?" she teased. "Shameful!"

"I am _traumatized_ , Kate." Nate grinned. "Clearly I don't know what I'm saying."

"Nope, no take-backs," Kate sang back to him. "I was right. And you admitted it. So _there_."

"Katie, I'm _not_ trying to take it back," Nate promised, one hand over his heart. "I just want to recharge with my sweetheart before it's time to go back home and dive back into all the stress we left behind." He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. "You _are_ absolutely right. Okay?" _And I said it out loud and everything._

Kate grinned steadily wider. _You're perfect and wonderful and now -_ now _\- we can forget about words._

* * *

Tommy had walked a couple circles with his hands in his hair after he'd seen everything through Billy's point of view. Then, he'd sat on a few different surfaces, walked a circle again, and then finally dropped backwards onto the couch. "So, that sucked," he said at last. "All around."

"Yeah." Billy watched him, half holding his breath as he could see Tommy working through his thoughts. "I keep thinking how it could have gone differently…"

"Yeah, I mean, just coulda sent me in there and things would've been less dramatic, but hey, you need your fill of soap opera or you're not _Billy_ ," Tommy said, waving his hand, though when Billy glared his way, Tommy sighed and zipped over to drape his arm around Billy's shoulders. "No, but really, you know Grandfather was absolutely _not_ going to stop until something like this happened anyway, right?"

"Yeah, I kinda figured that out."

"Easier to see when you're not the favorite heir," Tommy said - and didn't quite hide the bitterness in his voice. He shrugged. "But hey, that still sucked. So, like, I don't know. Slow down? That's what people keep telling me? Maybe it works for _you_?"

"I'm nearly _stopped_ ," Billy said. "How much slower do you want me to be?" He raised an eyebrow. "In case you missed it, I was pretty much just _transportation._ How is _that_ dramatic?"

Tommy turned with his whole body to better face Billy. "Oh no! My boyfriend is a ball of nerves! Let me set up a spell for ultimate drama in case his dad is in trouble! Then I can get us there white knight style with his siblings and be the hero!"

Billy gave him an incredibly dry look. "That is _not_ what I was trying to do."

"Uh-huh." Tommy leaned back again and put his hands behind his head. "Well, you're gonna need to figure out how to explain it in words, because technically, you're still Grandfather's pick for who he wanted to replace him, and all of Genosha knows it, so…"

"I'm pretty sure his pick doesn't really matter at this point," Billy said.

"Matters to more people than you'd think."

"I wasn't thinking about that," Billy admitted. "But Mom's handling it, I _know_. You and I are both too young to even think about that realistically. We're not even out of _high school_."

"Good point. I almost got caught up in your drama," Tommy said, grinning crookedly. "Wrong twin!"

Billy rolled his eyes and then grabbed Tommy's arm and yanked him into a hug - which _finally_ got Tommy to stay still as he hugged Billy right back.

* * *

While the Summers kids and Billy were gone, the only people in the Summers house were the older Billy, Logan, and Scott - and since Scott was still sleeping hard with the pain medication Hank had given him, that meant only Billy and Logan knew it when America climbed in the back window, made her way down to the living room, and stopped to stare at Billy with her arms crossed and her eyebrows raised for a good, long time.

"You look older than you do in the stars," she said at last, shaking her head with her arms still crossed. "Guess I missed a lot."

"The stars don't really do much for color or shading," Billy teased.

"True." America smirked and stepped forward to put her hand out. "America Chavez, by the way."

Billy grinned and took her hand long enough to pull her into a tight hug. "I _know_ who you are. You're one of my best friends."

America looked caught off her guard for only a split second before she pulled him into a spinning hug and grinned to match him. "So I found you eventually, huh? Or is that another me? I've gotta know."

"You always do," Billy said. "One way or another."

"I'm just good like that," America said, tossing her hair over one shoulder. Then, with a glint in her eyes, she leaned forward. "You got a James in your dimension or am I trying to keep you from heartbreak over there?"

"You do that in every dimension no matter what," Billy told her. "But the James in my dimension is _much_ younger and wasn't even born until I was already _married._ " He grinned. "My husband and I are ridiculously happy together."

" _Good_." America hugged him again. "It's _so_ good to see you."

"Love you too, Miss America."

America's grin was threatening to split her face. "Well. I'm impossible not to love, right?"

"This is entirely true," he agreed.

She laughed. "So, you staying long?"

"Not _too_ long," Billy said. "We need to get past the trouble here, and it could still all fall apart. I want to see them get past it."

"I noticed," America said, her smile dropping - but only slightly.

"You can help, of course," he said. "Just be ready to talk _this_ me out of the trees. Oh … all the time."

She smirked crookedly. "Yeah, already doing that."

"Of course you are. You're _amazing._ "

America grinned and gestured for him to come sit with her on the couch. "I meant to find you, you know. But the you here… he needs me. And there are some hot girls too."

"The me here is going to need a lot of help for a long while," Billy said. "But _you_ .. are totally going to be set for eye candy. Forever."

America leaned forward, her expression totally troublemaking. "Just tell me I get the one I'm eyeing."

"Don't you always?" He was teasing, but he did take a moment to concentrate, letting the galaxies spin as he looked through the possible outcomes, then grinned wider. "I guess that depends on which one you're leaning toward _right now_."

"Oh, is the dark-haired bird still an _option_?" America asked delightedly.

"Not really," Billy said, shrugging lightly. "She's … very hung up in most of the outcomes I've seen here."

America snapped her fingers. "Drat. But I totally get her in other dimensions, right? We _worked_."

"Oh, absolutely," he agreed, nodding his head. "She even gets _you_ in a few."

"I'm suddenly very jealous of the other mes."

Billy's smile slipped into more troublemaking as well. "But … this one … I think you'll be pleased. You don't have any psychopaths on the horizon anywhere I can see - but that probably has more to do with excellent screening processes. And no idiot boy teammates that you were just _bored_ enough to go there."

America pulled a face. "No way. I only go for pretty birds."

"Yes. Pretty birds." Billy was nodding slowly.

America laughed and then leaned back on the couch. "Okay. Tell me _everything_ about it. The moment you got your powers. What was it like? I want to know it all."

Billy got comfortable as well, leaned back, and started up with a few stories he knew she'd appreciate.

* * *

When the kids came home later that afternoon, they brought Warren with them - and were greeted by Scott and Logan, who were _joking around_ while dinner cooked.

Warren let out a breath of disbelief. "They said you were visiting from a different dimension, but it's still so _wild_."

"You alright, flyboy?" Logan said.

"Better than you are here," Warren shot back.

"You're awful scrawny," Logan said. "I asked the kids to get you to donate a pint, but looks like you could use a few yourself."

Warren waved a hand. "I'm fine," he said. "Just been inside for too long is all."

"What're you making?" Kate asked, hopping up on the counter.

"Venison with cherries," Logan said. "Pretty sure Slim needed a break for what passes for food according to teenagers."

"It smells amazing," Kate said, even as Warren was snorting at Logan's explanation.

"I didn't know you were a chef," Rachel said.

"I'm not," Logan said. "I just know how to cook."

"Well, add that to the list of things we're learning," Rachel said. "We didn't know Angel could heal either."

Warren shrugged with both palms outturned. "Not exactly common knowledge, and it's not like we've had reason to show it off."

"Where I'm from, he figured it out when a doctor contacted him after he'd donated," Logan said. "The patients they'd given the blood to were healing at an accelerated rate. The doc was a little excited, if I remember right."

"That's a nice change," Nate said dryly. "Last time we had a doctor that wasn't Hank get into our blood…"

Warren nodded as the kids gathered around the table, picking Logan's brain for _more_ stories and tidbits about their X-Men family while Warren came over to where Scott was hanging back and staying off his feet. "Well, you look like crap."

"Thanks, Warren. You really know how to give a guy a pep talk," Scott said dryly.

"I heard you went a few rounds with Magneto?" Warren shook his head. "You seriously had to come back with a bang?"

"This was really just… a one-off thing," Scott defended.

"What's wrong, you think you could do better?" Logan said as he made a pass by the two of them.

"Probably could do it without requiring a visit from another dimension," Warren shot back.

"With the shape you're in?" Logan scoffed and turned back to the kitchen to get a drink. "Sure. Keep tellin' yourself that."

Warren rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and Scott looks so much better."

"Thanks, Warren. Really," Scott said dryly.

"I'd say you're about even right now," Logan replied before he tossed a beer at Warren.

Warren smirked as he caught it - and then Scott laughed outright. "You're trying to get me drunk intravenously through Warren!"

"Don't know what you're talkin' about," Logan said.

"Yeah, lighten up," Warren said as he snapped the beer open.

"Besides, we gotta heal you up so you can have one yourself," Logan added.

"Fair enough," Scott said, which had the other adults in the house smirking as Warren got settled in to donate.

"Seriously, you look terrible," Warren said once the blood was running.

"In my defense, I think we were pretty even," Scott said. "Magneto wasn't walking away from that fight; he just threw me off my game yanking my eyes."

"Wait, what?"

"Didn't have anything else metal for him to use, apparently."

" _Scott._ "

Scott shrugged, obviously uncomfortable. "It's fine."

"Scott. You shouldn't have gone in alone," Warren said. "I'm not talking about having back up nearby, I'm talking about going in to _him_ alone."

"I wanted his guard down," Scott said.

Warren gestured with the arm that wasn't hooked up at the moment. "And you couldn't think of anyone that might have convincingly wanted to go?"

"Warren…"

"I'm just saying, Scott, you didn't consider getting help."

"I had help," Scott defended. "Kitty and Bobby were backing me up, and so was Alex once we brought him in."

"I heard the plan. I'm just saying I would have liked to go in with you. In his face."

"I wasn't going to risk you," Scott said quietly.

"Did you think that maybe it could have stopped you from getting this bad? From losing your eyes _again_?"

"It's over now, anyway," Scott said, trying to shrug it off.

Warren narrowed his eyes. "Alright. Well. I'm not going to try and guilt trip you for not thinking of one of your oldest teammates."

"Uh-huh," Scott said, rolling his eyes at that. "Sure you aren't."

"It would be pointless," Warren continued.

"It would be," Scott said. "Because I already said I wasn't going to risk anyone else. Bobby's already been in and out of Genosha's prisons-"

"Even though none of us wanted to risk _you_ and it would have been _our_ decision if we _wanted_ to take a risk."

"I haven't been part of things for a long time," Scott argued.

"Neither have I," Warren said. "Not really."

"So here we are," Scott said, leaning back with a sigh.

"Here we are," Warren agreed.

Scott was quiet for a long moment before he let out a breath. "Thanks for coming. The kids needed a way to help, and getting you..."

"Everyone needs a way to help, Scott."

"That why you're here?"

"Of course it is. What do you think I do - what I _have_ been doing for the past … forever now?" Warren said. "I can't help the kids there - because all I could do before was to teach them to fly, and even I'm not allowed to do that anymore. So outside of writing checks … what have I got?"

"Yeah." Scott let out a breath. "We should have kept the team going. I'm sorry you've been trapped this long."

"I don't think anyone thought it'd go this far."

"I guess no one wanted to be the one to bring up the team again," Scott said in a sigh.

"Nothing we can do to _stop_ it now."

"Don't I know it."

"They're doing _great_ ," Warren said, smiling at last at the mention of the new team. "Better than we did our first few times out."

"It helps that they have better backing than we did," Scott pointed out. "They grew up on stories of what not to do, they got Avengers training, and they have emergency backup we never had."

"True," Warren said. "But I'm just saying … they're good."

Scott smirked and looked toward the kids joking around in the kitchen. "They really are. Of course they are. They're the X-Men."

"Wow. Keep talking like that and you'll need to borrow Kate's pompoms," Warren laughed.

"Hey, I'm trying to be a supportive father here," Scott defended, though he was smiling all the same.

"So does that mean you need a bumper sticker? My kid saved your kid?"

"Like that wouldn't bring down every agency in the world," Scott said, shaking his head.

"If it _wouldn't,_ you'd have your car _wrapped_ with it."

"Sure," Scott said, though the fact that he wasn't denying it had Warren laughing that much more.

"Dinner delivery," Rachel said, bringing a couple plates over to the two of them, though she projected to Warren, _Whatever you're doing, I haven't heard Dad laugh this much in a while, so… thanks._

 _I'm happy to do whatever I can,_ Warren said. _I've missed this, too._

 _We told Kitty and Bobby they were welcome to join the team we're re-starting,_ Rachel said. _Door's open for you too, you know._

 _We'll see how it goes,_ Warren replied. _Much as I hate to admit it, Logan's right. I've been out of it for a long time._

 _Don't have to join us tomorrow,_ Rachel teased.

_No, but I will have to get it past Betsy._

_Oooh, good point,_ Rachel said. She paused. _She misses it too, you know. And she hates seeing you trapped._

_Then maybe I've got a shot._

Rachel smiled at him and then waved at the two of them. "I'm going to try to rescue Logan from Kate. She's trying to get him to teach her all his tricks."

_That'd take a lot longer than she realizes._

_Anything she can think of to get one up on Nate,_ Rachel teased.

"You'll know if she gets on his nerves," Scott said with a quiet smirk. "He won't be quiet about it."

"Pretty sure he doesn't know how to do that," Warren said. "When he's irritated."

"Oh, he _definitely_ doesn't," Scott said, raising his voice slightly so he knew for sure that Logan heard it. "And he's always irritated."

Logan didn't even look Scott's way and instead took a moment to show Kate how to disarm an opponent in an _entirely_ different way than Clint and Natasha had shown her, ending the demo by whipping the knife and making it stick in a cabinet across the kitchen.

Kate was laughing delightedly, though Scott was just shaking his head. "Showoff."

"Not yet," Logan replied with a smirk.

"Besides," Nate said, "she needs all the help she can get."

"Oh, shut up," Kate said, throwing her wadded-up napkin at him.

"There's better ways to get to him," Logan said quietly.

"Not in public," Kate said without missing a beat.

"That just lets him too," Logan said. "But if you _like_ bein' second place …"

"Um, _no_ ," Kate said, sounding perfectly insulted.

"I dunno, you seem pretty happy there," Logan said.

"Let's get something straight," Kate said, pointing an accusing finger his way, "I _never_ settle."

"If you say so," Logan replied with an easy shrug before he turned his head to flat ignore Kate and chat with James and Billy instead.

"Oh no you don't," Kate said, grabbing his arm. "You, me, and whatever tricks you've got. Let's go."

"Hey, pushy, that ain't how to get me to do what you want. No," Logan said. "You've got Nat to learn _enough_ from. Ask her. I taught her when she was little."

"So you're the perfect source to learn _more_ ," Kate insisted.

"Sure. But I'm tryin' to talk to my son from this reality and his sweetheart. Take a number."

"James doesn't mind if I borrow you for just a little while, right, James?"

"My time is limited, Katherine," James said, catching on fast. "Sorry, not sorry."

" _James!_ "

"Hey, I'd help you if I could, but we all know this isn't long term, and I really want to know my dad," James said as Billy started to crack up.

"Oh, for crying out loud, Logan," Scott said, though he was laughing too. "You're going to give her a complex."

"I'm already responsible for a few complexes here," Logan said. "What's one more?"

"Stop twisting her up and just show her, would you?" Scott laughed.

"I don't even know where to _start_ ," Logan said.

"Then take the team. They probably need the help too," Scott pointed out. "I'm fine here. I'm literally attached to Warren."

"Where the hell'm I supposed to take 'em?" Logan asked. "And do _what_ with em?"

"I've got a key to the roof at my place," Kate said brightly. "Dad taught me his best tricks up there. We could do a little sparring; Tony has a hologram up so we'd be hidden."

"Did he teach you how to fall into a dumpster or aren't you advanced enough for that one?"

Nate snorted. "That was last week, right, Kate?"

"Oh, shut up. Not all of us can fly," Kate said, rolling her eyes his way.

"Those of us that don't fly just try to not do dumbass stuff like that," Logan said.

"So - roof?" Kate said.

Logan let out a breath and looked over to James and Billy. "Your call."

Billy shrugged. "I'm good either way," he said. "I'd kind of like to see what the original Wolverine could show us, to be honest…" As he spoke, Logan could see a lot of the kid he'd met in his own universe, trying not to geek out and to play it cool and not at all playing it as close to the vest as he thought he was doing. "... but James is right, too."

"Don't suppose you got a spare holo-program layin' around," Logan said. "I've been sittin' around here for a few days. Gettin' rusty."

"We've got something at the tower," Kate said, "but then that's a whole thing with you being dead here and everyone wanting to see you…"

"Same thing goes for just findin' an army that needs a spankin'," Logan said.

"Oh, well, that's easy," Nate said with a shrug. "There's a few all up in arms from Magneto stirring up the hornet's nest. The Avengers have been dealing with them too."

"How about you stay close," Scott said, one hand over his eyes. "God, Logan, I just got used to them running small missions. Don't _do_ that."

"Small army equals small mission," Logan said with a frown.

"Not for my kids," Scott said. "Keep it _small_." He paused and smirked. "Think Avengers small."

Logan nodded slowly. "Ah. _Beginner_ beginner level."

Warren was snickering as Scott nodded. "Yep."

"Okay," Logan said, looking like he was thinking hard. "So. Where's the playground?"

"Um, the roof," Kate said. "Were you not listening?"

"I think he meant _actual_ playground," James said with a smirk.

"Oh come on."

"Which roof?" Logan asked. "Because if it's one over Tasha's head …"

"It is," Nate said, grinning madly.

Logan almost cringed. "Don't know if you'll get what you want, but … we can try it."

With that, the kids headed out with Logan - obviously thrilled - and Scott was laughing the whole time, since it had really been too long since he'd seen a bunch of X-Men carrying Logan off like that.

* * *

The little group of new X-Men weren't on the roof for more than fifteen minutes before their session was interrupted - by a string of Russian swear words when Natasha came barrelling toward Logan and _nearly_ knocked him over.

And then promptly snuggled right into him.

"You gettin' soft, Tash?" Logan teased.

"Where did you - _how_ did you come here?" she asked, not about to let him go.

"Different dimension's Billy," Logan said, wrapping her up - which really had her curling in better. "You alright, darlin'?"

"I missed you," she said.

Logan couldn't really return the sentiment very well, since he had plenty of chances to spend time with her back home, but he knew she needed _something_ , so he took a second to kiss her temple. "Love you too, kiddo."

Natasha smiled and stayed positively curled up where she was, and Kate was just watching the whole thing and blinking slowly. _Mom … has never… done that,_ she projected to Nate. _Ever._

 _Um … obviously she has, because he doesn't look surprised_ at all.

 _Well,_ I _have never seen that. Holy cow._

_You know what the story is? Or is this a big question thing later?_

_She always talked about Logan as her 'little uncle' so…_ Kate shrugged. _I guess I need to ask for more stories._

_Alright, but can you ask her later? I was actually learning stuff._

_Yeah, so was I,_ Kate said. _But I'm also not getting in the middle of him and my mom so… I guess we let them hug it out._

"You gonna hog all the time we've got left?" James called out.

Natasha looked up at James and then let out a sigh. "Two more minutes," she said, completely unapologetic.

"One."

"Fine." Natasha snuggled Logan for a bit longer and then finally let out a sigh and stepped back - then kissed his cheek. "I'm glad you're here," she said. "Teach them like you taught me."

"I'll be goin' back soon," Logan said. "Won't have much time to teach."

"You didn't have much time with me either," Natasha said.

"Tash, I had you for two years - almost entirely just us."

"You can't stay that long?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with trouble.

"I got kids home to deal with, too," Logan told her.

"Multiple?" Natasha asked, her voice softening.

Logan nodded. "My daughter, Sadie, has been your best ballet student."

Natasha let out a noise. "Oh. That's perfect."

"We've got a few," Logan said, smirking at her.

"I'm glad. You were never happier than when you had your family."

"You too," he told her.

Natasha smiled and finally stepped back, letting the kids get Logan's attention again - though she couldn't stop smiling as she watched them work.


	62. Long-Overdue Therapy

Morning came early, and Scott had to frown when he saw that Logan was already awake before him. It seemed like he was perfectly serious about driving him to that appointment.

Scott shook his head as he got his coffee. "You know I can drive myself," he said. "Transfusion helped. I'm on my feet."

"Yep, but I'm followin' through on what I promised you," Logan said without looking up at him.

"You've got plenty of other things you could do while you're here."

"Like what?" Logan asked.

"James could use your advice," Scott said. "He just killed someone after going into the red for the first time."

"We went over that," Logan said. "Couple times. And we'll hit it again before I go, but it's on his time."

"You could help the kids-"

"When I'm done drivin' you," Logan said.

Scott covered his eyes with his hand, though before he could argue it, there was a flash of light, and the other-dimensional Billy reappeared, this time with K.

Logan lit up with a bright grin and pulled her over to steal a kiss even as Billy started to give K the quick rundown, mostly ignoring the PDA as he explained, "So, like I said, Logan's looking out for Scott, and you're with the kids so he's not worried about them being on their own so soon after a trauma."

At first, K didn't acknowledge what Billy was saying, but after the kiss met its natural end, she stepped back and nodded. "Babysitting kids that don't know me. Perfect." She turned to see Scott, and her smile fell only a hair when she saw his obvious scars and how _tired_ he looked before she went right over to wrap him up in a hug. "How's my hero?"

Scott finally managed to break out of his shock to hug her back. "Hi, K," he said in a breath, not at _all_ prepared to see another friend back from the dead, especially not when his mind had been on the appointment he was dreading. He had a sneaking suspicion the other Billy had pulled K in not just for the kids but to throw Scott enough off his game that he couldn't talk his way out of going.

As for K, she didn't let go of Scott, instead snuggling in more. "You doing a little better with my sweetheart irritating the crap out of you?"

"I'm fine," he said without letting go of her.

"I know, I know. You're always fine. I didn't ask how you were like _that_. I gave you a simple yes or no, because I _know better_."

Scott let out a breath of a laugh. "I missed you too."

"I'm sorry you had to miss either of us," K told him softly.

"Not your fault," he said in a whisper.

"I just hate to see you upset," she said.

"I'm fine."

"Well, 'Fine'," Logan said, stepping close enough to the two of them that it was as close as he'd come to breaking them up without physically getting in between them - and only because he'd been around long enough to know how desperately Scott needed people around him like K who built him up. "You're gonna be late if you keep sayin' you're fine."

Scott rolled his eyes as he stepped back from K. "Your husband thinks he's my parole officer."

"He also thinks it hasn't been more than a few hours for me while he's been here, and he's _impatient and spoiled._ "

Scott frowned at that. "I don't want to take him away from you."

"Didn't you hear me? He's been here with you for … um... however long, but I just noticed he was gone. To me, it's only been a few hours. _He's_ the one that thinks it's been days." She shrugged. "Considering how spoiled he is."

Scott shook his head at that. "Seriously, I can handle myself, let you two get back to your lives…"

"So … you two go handle you," K said. "You know as well as I do that if he wasn't worried, he'd be back home already." She kissed his cheek. "When you get back, I'll let you look at our kids if it cheers you up."

Scott shook his head and gave her another quick hug. "Might be fair, since you'll be watching mine."

"They'll be safe," K promised.

"I know they will be," Scott said - and meant it.

But then, with his kids taken care of and everyone looking expectant, Scott had no more excuses to put off the inevitable. So, he let out a breath and headed for the door, not all that happy about the fact that Logan seemed to be holding tight to his promise to _make_ Scott go to this appointment.

As soon as the two of them were gone, K turned and got herself a cup of coffee and then started looking in the fridge to see what she could come up with for breakfast. "Billy," K called out. "Is there anything you can think of that we should do while we wait for those two to come back?"

"Well, these kids have never had a mom before, so I'll defer to your expertise," Billy said.

"You think I can fix that in one morning?" K asked, one eyebrow arched high. "Such faith you put in me."

"Well, no, but they just realized their dad wanted to _die_ , so I figured some momming might help?" Billy held both hands out to the side and shrugged. "I'm kind of winging this. My foresight isn't as good as it used to be, remember? Still a work in sanity-progress?"

"That's alright. I'll see what I can do," K assured him as she started pulling things out of the fridge. "Think you can find me some lingonberries and whipped cream?"

"Sure thing," Billy said, disappearing and then coming back about a minute later with some supplies. "Thanks again for letting me steal you for this. I promise I'll bring you back to the same time I took you."

"I think I needed to clear my head anyhow," K said. "My boy is doing better, but he's half afraid to put himself out there still. But I don't know what to do here so … this sounds good to _me_."

"Oh good," Billy said, giving her a quick hug. "This whole universe is pretty rotten, but they're finally starting on a path to something less bleak, and I _really_ want it to work out."

"Any surprises I should know about?" K asked as she started mixing up her batter.

"Umm, Rachel and Nate are teenagers… Nate's dating Kate… that one seemed to shock Logan, apparently…"

"Cable is dating my big sister?" K said, doing her best to look scandalized.

Billy smirked. "Yep."

"Sweet time skipper stepped it up," K said, shaking her head.

Billy snorted. "They're highly competitive. Couple of sharp-shooters."

"Oooh, I wanna play too."

"Of course you do." Billy kissed her cheek. "This is why I love you."

"I love you too," K said, smirking at him. "It sounded like everyone was pretty beat down, if Scott is any kind of measuring stick."

Billy sighed. "You, Logan, Jubilee, Jean, Kurt, Charles … you all died."

"So all the fun people died."

Billy nodded. "It was pretty brutal. It was torture and manipulation the whole way."

"It'd have to be brutal to take all of us out," K said. "Tell me what I need to be careful of so I don't trip anyone off, okay?"

Billy nodded. "Alright," he said, sitting down at the table as he started to go over the story while she worked. He was only partway through filling her in when she slipped the first plate of pancakes under his nose and went right back to cooking, nodding now and again as he gave her the quick version. But even the "quick version" was a lot to get through, and by the time he was done, Billy looked downright tired. "This was one of the universes Apocalypse showed me to drive me nuts. I just want to help now," he summed up at last in a hoarse whisper.

"You are," K said, not leaving any room to dispute it.

"Yeah. Logan helped get Scott's plan a little less…" Billy made a motion with his hand. "So he's alive. That's already helping."

"Oh. Who're you?" Rachel asked, alerting Billy to the fact that the kids were starting to trickle in. She was standing in the doorway watching the two of them with a slight frown.

K smiled at her and gestured to the folded-over crepes. "Hi, Rachel," she said. "I'm K. Grab a plate; get some berries and whipped cream. You missed your Dad. He and Logan left a little while ago."

"K?" Rachel looked honestly surprised. "Dad needs _two_ … he's that bad?"

"No, of course not," K said, scoffing. "He needed some Swedish pancakes, and Billy knows that in all the universes, I'm the best. So. here I am."

"She so is," Billy laughed.

"It's nice to meet you," Rachel said, not sure what else to say in the face of that kind of introduction.

"Entirely mutual," K said as she smiled up at her. "Go on. Billy will show you how it's done."

"Okay," Rachel said, though she clearly had no idea how to deal with this.

When Rachel had finally sat down and was still looking wary, K made her way over to her and squeezed both of her shoulders from behind. "I promise I'm not here for bad things," K told her quietly. "Or to offset them. I'm just Billy's favorite."

"It's just… we almost lost him and …"

"Rach, don't worry about the almost or you'll miss the right now," K said. "Right now, your dad is probably going _nuts_ because Logan's fussing over him. But he's doing something he's refused to do for _years_. It's good. I promise it is. Considering all the wreckage he was hit with years ago? He's on a definite upswing, and I can promise you that if he hadn't had you three, it would have been a done deal for him too, way back then. I'm very sure of that." She kissed the top of her head before Rachel turned to face her. "And now, the four of you are all here to anchor each other. And he knows it. Don't get twisted up on the almosts."

Rachel finally relaxed a little and then reached out to hug K. _Everyone's worried about him,_ she projected to K.

 _Of course they are,_ K replied, sure to wrap her up warmly.

_James talked him out of it._

_Excellent, good for him - for all of you._

Rachel let out a breath. "That… smells really good," she said, obviously doing the same thing her dad often did and pushing her worry aside for a new topic of conversation.

"Just let me know if you want more," K told her.

"She's using me as instant grocery shopping," Billy said with a smirk.

"Ooh, that reminds me, you should go get some of the _good_ coffee," K said. "This stuff Scott has is like … survival grade."

"On it," Billy said, disappearing in a flash of light.

Rachel laughed. "Our Billy doesn't do that."

"Your Billy isn't the same power level," K said. "Ours is the only one that gets the 'favorite stargazer' title. Or whatever _he_ calls it."

"That's kind of a shame. I think our Billy would love to be able to do wordless spells like that."

"I think he'll be able to as he gets more powerful," K said, tipping her head as she tried to think about it. "You know … ours worked with Doc Strange for a while to hone his skills and … wait. Yes, yes. A whole bunch of ladies ended up pregnant from his accidental wordless spell. Yeah. He'll be able to do wordless drama."

"Wait. What?"

K chuckled at that then smiled at Billy when he reappeared holding a bag of her favorite brand of coffee. She gestured toward him as he poured out the old coffee. "He and his husband wanted kids, but the adoption people kept dropping the ball. He was _pining_ for babies. I was already pregnant, so … it didn't bother me, but every other woman of age that was married ended up getting pregnant at the same time." She let out a wistful sigh. "If my daughter hadn't been so sweet and come out a girl, I was going to name her William the Strong just to screw with him."

"Oh wow." Rachel turned to point at Billy. "Please tell me that's not going to happen to me with this one."

K was chuckling at her. "You never kno-o-ow," she sang out.

"Hey, this one is dating James," Billy said, smirking K's way.

"Good for him," K shot back. "He should have little kids _flocking_ to him by the time he gets wistful."

"Ex-actly," Billy laughed.

"They really love him here, too ... so I guess we'll just… see how it goes," Rachel said, smiling to herself as she thought of all the little kids that seemed to seek James out.

"Does your brother have a code name?" K asked, smirking Billy's way as she started up the fresh pot of coffee.

"Honestly, we talked about it, and he decided to take up Logan's, since everyone would call him that anyway," Rachel admitted. "He's not wrong."

"That's beautiful," K said, smiling. "Not the brother I was asking about, but ...how sweet. Does Logan know?"

Rachel nodded. "Yeah, he spent some time with the team."

"And what about your itty bitty _baby_ baby brother?" K asked, though she'd already caught Nate's scent as he got closer, and she _knew_ he was near enough to eavesdrop.

"Cable," Rachel said. "And I'm using 'Prestige'."

"Oh, good. I always liked that one better," K said, nodding as she set up another plate.

"So… K?" Nate asked as he poked his nose in, knowing he was busted anyway.

"You cheated and asked your sister," K said without looking his way.

Nate shrugged. "Hey, there was someone new in our house. We always check with each other."

"I get it. You were _scared_. I'm flattered," K sang before she slid him his plate, ready to go. "I'm too little to threaten anyone."

"Like that matters," Nate said. "Aunt Jan can take anyone down."

"Almost," K said, though it was purely to get a rise out of him.

"Mmm, no," he said. "She's the only Avenger who helped us debut the team."

"Ah, there's the modifier," she said. "Avenger. You're biased."

"We literally _just_ started the X-Men again," Nate pointed out.

K reached up to pat his cheek. "You are _so much_ like your father, tiny time skipper."

"Yeah, I'm getting that a lot lately," Nate said.

"Must be a reason for it," she said as she leaned against the counter, watching over them as they got into their breakfasts.

It wasn't long before James and Billy came down too, with Nate and Rachel smirking at each other over the fact that they came down together, though neither of them said anything out loud. They knew James and Billy were hanging onto each other to try to recover from the trauma they'd all been through, but hopefully, spending the night would be good for both of them to remember they were good for each other for more than staying sane.

"Give me two minutes and I'll have breakfast for both of you," K said without turning to look at them. "The coffee your dad had in here was almost as bad as what they had in that rotten facility in Saskatoon."

Of course, James stopped fully and blinked at her for a long moment as Rachel reached out to fill him in, though after Billy's spell, it really wasn't necessary. He was just frozen as he stared at his mother for the first time in his active memory.

"Nice to meet you," the younger Billy said with a small smile, waving at K with the tips of his fingers. "I guess I get to meet James' parents after all."

"And you're already one of my favorites," K told him when she turned their way. She set her mug aside and crossed the kitchen, then looked up at James. She barely beat him to it when she wrapped her arms around his neck before he scooped her up in a bear hug and held on tight.

"They both needed that," the older Billy whispered to Rachel. "She's been having a rough time too."

"Sorry to hear that," Rachel whispered back. "She seems okay."

"She likes to play house to relax, and she's happy to see this James happy. Hers hit a rough patch about a year ago. He's doing better now, but he's still struggling."

"How rough?"

"Yours is about a hundred times better adjusted."

"Wow, _William_ ," K said over James' shoulder. "You make me sound like a neglectful parent."

"I'm pretty sure they're all old enough to know you can have a loving family and still have issues not related to that part of your life," Billy pointed out.

"Still," K said as James finally set her down. She looked between the two boys and then gave the younger Billy a bear hug too. "You leave out _how_ he got to be so screwed up. Just like you forgot to tell me this _sweeter, younger you_ is dating my oldest son."

"They're pretty darn cute together, huh?" the older Billy said with a grin.

"Yes. Yes they are," K agreed with a troublemaking smile. "He makes you look good, Billy."

"Hey," the younger Billy said. "We _both_ look like movie stars."

"It's not a pick at _you_ , my precious little stargazer," K promised before she kissed his cheek. "Come on. You both need something more civilized for breakfast than the Pop Tarts that were in the cabinet."

"Yes, please," Billy agreed fervently.

K led him over and kept an arm around both boys as she told them what they _should_ do before she slid them each a plate that was ready to go, leaving the older Billy simply grinning over the scene as the kids all enjoyed themselves.

Once they were all eating, K sat down next to James with her coffee and waited to see what their plan was and to answer any questions they had for her while they waited.

It was pretty clear that James was _deeply_ enjoying the morning with his mom. Even if she was from a different reality, she was enough like the one he'd seen in his memories that he couldn't stop looking at her, though for the life of him, he had no idea what to even _ask_ her or what to _say_. So instead, he just decided to bask in her presence.

And K could see how deeply this James missed out on having a mother. Naturally, she didn't press him on anything and instead stuck close and did the same thing he was doing, even if it was seriously tugging at her heartstrings. They were thoroughly enjoying their quiet coffee time together when the doorbell rang, and K was on her feet before the boys could beat her to it. "I've got it," she promised. She waved Rachel off as she passed her by. "Seriously. Relax."

"It's okay," Rachel said, but when K projected to her, Rachel backed off. Especially when the message was that she expected all four of the kids that had been involved to spend the day recuperating.

K took just a moment to smooth her shirt over her stomach as she always did, then opened the door with a pleasant expression, though she wasn't expecting to see a rabbi standing there looking as if she'd already thrown cold water on him. "Hello," she said, then smiled warmly. "Can I help you?"

Rabbi Cohen took a moment or two to get his feet under himself before he could answer, though K didn't press him on it. "Yes." He looked past her to see Rachel sitting on the stairs, waving her fingertips at him. "I don't mean to intrude. Scott and I have a standing appointment for coffee, but if he's occupied-"

"He's not in right now," K said, but that only had Toby looking more surprised.

"You can come in and have coffee if you like, Rabbi Cohen," Rachel offered, and K turned to look at her long enough to nod her head once and then open the door wider to let him into the house. "Dad won't be gone all day, and I know you'll like the coffee that K made better than the stuff Dad makes."

"It's really good," James agreed from the kitchen table with Billy.

Toby stepped in, bewildered that Scott had left his kids alone with this tiny, _attractive_ stranger.

"Come on," K said, closing the door behind him and then leading the way to the kitchen. "I was just feeding the zoo. You're welcome to join them."

"I'm not sure I should," Toby said, though he was smiling in spite of himself when he saw the way the kids were so comfortable around her already.

K looked over her shoulder and then turned on her heel to face him even as she picked up her mug from next to James and headed for the coffee maker. "It's kosher. You're fine."

"Alright then," Toby agreed, taking the seat nearest Billy and watching the whole scene for a long moment. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I'm at a disadvantage here. I know I would have remembered Scott saying something about a friend coming by."

"It was a surprise visit," K answered as she worked up more crepes. "He hasn't seen me in a long time." She set up a plate for Toby as Rachel grabbed a cup of coffee for him, and as soon as K handed him the crepes, James straightened up with a little smirk as she sat down with him.

All of it had Toby in a state of shock - but the kids were comfortable with her, and she seemed perfectly at ease with them, so naturally, he started to wonder as he had his breakfast what the story was there. And how much of that story he could figure out before he got to talk to Scott.

* * *

Meanwhile, Scott had arrived at Craig Hale's office, irritated further when Logan went with him. "You don't have to hold my hand," he grumbled.

"You want me to wait in the car like a dog?" Logan challenged, knowing it would rile Scott.

Scott pinched the bridge of his nose. "Obviously not."

"Then what are my other options?" Logan asked. "Cruise the downtown pickin' up chicks to introduce you to?"

" _No_ ," Scott said.

"Drink at the bar? Start a fight … well. Maybe that one."

"Fine. You can just... Fine." Scott shook his head as they waited, though it wasn't long before Craig came out to introduce himself.

His Southern accent was as strong in person as it had been over the phone, but seeing his bright smile in person as well as his brown hair and slightly plump size… All at once, Scott realized that this therapist and Nate's teacher must have been brother and sister to look so much alike. "Oh hell, you're all conspiring," Scott muttered to Logan under his breath.

Logan was chuckling at him by that point. "He's a good guy," Logan told him low enough that Scott barely caught it. "And I'm pretty sure he won't try to seduce you. But who knows."

Scott gave him a ridiculously dry look even as Craig introduced himself to Logan as well. "You must be the friend from the phone call."

"You bet," Logan replied.

"He's a professional pain," Scott said.

"He only says that when he knows I'm right," Logan said with a smirk.

Craig nodded. "In that case, why don't you tell me what you're right about? I've found that if someone's loved ones are concerned enough to push for a meetin' like this, it's good to ask."

Logan turned to Scott and held his gaze. "It's time," Logan said. "He's been struggling for years. Lost a lot of people that were important to him at once and ended up raising three kids alone because of it. He never got the chance to cope. So … it's time."

Craig looked between the two of them and nodded before he invited Scott back. "Well, I just want to take some time to get to know you and see what you need. We'll set up a schedule for future visits once I've got my bearings, alright?"

Scott let out a breath and then followed Craig back, leaving Logan to wait for them to get done.

A couple hours later, Craig was actually the first one to leave the room - though Logan could see into the room that Scott was seated still and had his head in his hands. Without a word, Craig crossed to Logan and then pulled him aside, his expression urgent.

"You can't leave him alone," he said. "At all."

"I know," Logan said.

"I'd recommend hospitalization if I didn't think it would make it worse."

"Can't do that to him," Logan said, shaking his head.

"No, isolation would be devastating for him," Craig said. "Which is why I'm talking to you. You _can't_ leave him alone, and I need to know that you have the resources to do that or if I need to get involved."

"He's got a good support system that he's been ignoring this whole time. I'll make _sure_ he isn't alone if I gotta handcuff myself to him to do it."

"Good." Craig shook his head, looking just like the Annie Hale that Logan knew as he worried his hands through his hair. "Every morning at this time until further notice."

Logan nodded at that. "He'll probably try to go quiet on you," Logan warned.

"Yeah, not my first rodeo," Craig said.

"Well saddle up," Logan said.

"Who do I need to talk to to get clearance for whatever happened?" Craig asked, then held up a hand. "I've treated plenty of soldiers with PTSD. I know when someone's holding back details because they hurt and when they're holding back because it's not something they _can_ reveal."

Logan gestured to Scott. "He's the guy. If he's holding back, it's because he's waitin' for me to finish lookin' into _you_ to make sure he can open up without backlash."

Craig nodded at that. "It's a good thing he's got a friend like you."

"That's part of the problem," Logan said. "But once you hear more, you'll understand."

Craig nodded again as Scott finally decided he had enough of a hold of himself to join them. "Alright, Mr. Mueller," Craig said, "you've got a standing appointment every day at this time except Sundays. My sister and I go to church together Sunday mornings." He pointed at Scott. "But if I think you're slipping, I'll make an exception."

"I don't think it's necessary-"

"It is," Craig said.

Logan was doing a good job of keeping his expression under control as Scott did exactly what he knew he would as went quiet. "We'll make the arrangements," Logan said. "Don't be surprised if you get a rotation."

"I'd be happy to see it. Support systems matter," Craig told him honestly.

"C'mon, Slim," Logan said, dropping his hand on Scott's shoulder.

Scott let out a breath but knew he couldn't argue without making Craig more determined, somehow, so he headed out with Logan, still shaking his head to himself. "You knew he was related to Nate's teacher, didn't you?" he asked once they were in the car.

Logan stopped and turned his way. "Nate's teacher?" he frowned as he thought it over. "The one he's flunking history with?"

"Yeah, I told you about that stunt," Scott said, shaking his head.

"You didn't tell me what her name was," Logan pointed out.

"No, but you must have talked to Nate," Scott reasoned. "You were so convinced just from his name."

"I've got my reasons, and not a one of 'em has a thing to do with Nate."

Scott turned to face him fully. "Okay, tell me what you know."

"No," Logan said, shaking his head. "Figure it out yourself."

"You obviously trust that family," Scott said. "And I know what a high bar that is."

"So don't question it," Logan said.

"I just want to be sure this family is the same in _this_ universe," Scott said.

Logan held up both hands. "I … will have K do the digging."

"Because Craig told you not to leave me alone," Scott said dully, his expression going blank as he turned toward the windshield again.

"Because K can get into their faces, and they won't know who she is," Logan said. "She can blend in anywhere and you know it."

"Fine."

"You rather she stuck with you and babied you while I ran it down?" Logan asked. "Because all I gotta do is tell her what he said …"

"No," Scott said, holding up a hand. "And you really don't need to spend all this time…"

Logan sighed. "Our Billy - the one with universes in his eyes - he's the most powerful being there is. He can drop us exactly when we left. It's not an issue, and since we don't really age, no one will notice if it's a few weeks or even longer."

Scott let out a breath. "I'm fine, Logan. I'll go along with this whole thing; you know I will. The kids need me to do it."

"And I'm telling you: he's not wrong," Logan said, shaking his head. "What's it gonna hurt to admit that you need a little help to get you back on your feet? Or would you rather lay it all on the kids?"

"No, of course I'm not going to do that to them," Scott said. "I just meant I can handle it so the kids _won't_ have to worry."

"You can't do this alone," Logan told him.

"I thought that was the point of going to go see this guy."

"It is, but it's not _just_ that, Scott." Logan shook his head. "Yeah, don't listen to me. That's okay. It's not like I've been locked up in a loony bin before to tell you what the story is."

Scott let his shoulders drop at that, and he scrubbed a hand over his face. "I'm just…" He sighed. "I'm sorry," he said, which wasn't something Logan was used to hearing from him.

"You got nothing to apologize to me for,' Logan said. "All I'm trying to tell you is that you're _close_ to gettin' locked up if you don't do something stupid to yourself. You do _not_ want to do that if you can avoid it. As much as you like a schedule, you don't want to be treated like an invalid, so just … do as this guy says and let your old team help."

Scott was quiet for a long time before he let out a loud, long breath. "I'm trying," he said at last.

"I know."

"I'm not ignoring you either. It's just… this is difficult for me," Scott clarified.

"I know," Logan said again. "You think I've ever been the guy to talk about my feelings? Come on, Scotty."

Scott smirked at that. "Fair enough," he agreed, falling silent for the rest of the drive home.

When they got back, Scott was already pretty worn out. It was exhausting just talking about all that he'd been trying to shoulder - and if he was being honest, he'd only given Craig Hale a peek into everything that had happened. He couldn't just … open up to someone like that. Not without knowing everything about him. So he was looking forward to seeing if this K was as proficient at digging up dirt as the K they'd lost so many years ago.

In a paranoid move Scott had missed seeing, Logan sent him in first as he decided to take a sweep around the neighborhood … just to check things over. Which left Scott both staring after him for a moment and trying to shake the realization of how much that Logan used to do that he'd taken for granted. So he was entirely off his game when he stepped into his house to find Toby grinning at K as if she'd brought him the answer to the meaning of life.

"How'd it go?" K asked as she got to her feet and headed over to pour up more coffee.

"It … was alright," Scott said as she slid the mug to him. "I'm going to need to talk to you privately about that."

"Just tell me when," she said with a nod, then tipped her chin toward Toby. "You forgot to cancel your coffee date." Scott looked over at Toby and shook his head as K continued on, already back to James with her mug in one hand. "But now that you're here, I'll just take my favorite boys to chat and leave you to … whatever it is you usually do."

"Thanks," Scott said on his way to the table, where Toby was grinning wider. "Have you been here long?"

"Just long enough to meet _her_ ," Toby said, gesturing toward K as she and James headed toward the living room with Billy on her opposite side. "Honestly, Scott, if I knew you had someone like _that_ coming around, I wouldn't have kept trying to set you up."

Scott couldn't help the grin when he saw K stop cold and whirl around on her heel. Toby had no idea what he was bringing down on himself.

"It's clear the kids love her already, so when can I perform the wedding?" Toby asked with an unrestrained grin.

"What?" K said, though she'd only taken one step back toward them and was still halfway between the kitchen and the entry. She met Scott's _highly_ amused grin and shook her head. "No." She shook her head, dipping her chin down almost to her chest as she stared between the two of them. " _No_ … I … no." She took a few steps backward, nearly bumping into James, though as he reached out to avoid the collision, several things happened at once.

Scott broke out laughing, Toby looked as if he clearly had no idea what had just happened, and Logan came in with a crooked smirk on his face to look between the gathered group. He took one look at K and how she was clearly beyond words, tipped his head to the side, then looked toward Scott as he took a hold of her elbow. "What the hell'd you do to break her, Slim?"

Scott was still laughing as he shook his head. "Not _my_ fault she has terrible taste!"

K narrowed her eyes and pointed at him again. "My tastes are _just fine._ I would _break you_." As Logan took K's coffee with one hand, he pulled her over to steal a kiss, just to get her to return to her usual sassiness - and it worked perfectly, as evidenced by the fact that as soon as the kiss had ended, she turned toward Scott with one finger pointed his way. "So far out of your league, hero."

Which Logan found hilarious. As did James and Billy. "I thought you were on board for buildin' his ego back up," Logan teased.

"That - _no_ ," K said, turning on Logan. "Too far." She went through a full body shiver as Scott laughed harder. "Ugh. You'd be worse than _him_ with the kids thing."

"No," the older Billy said. "Stark would be worse."

K and Logan both turned toward him, though Logan was smirking as he pulled her closer. "You're really not funny, Harbinger," K said.

"He's just throwin' down a challenge, way I see it," Logan teased quietly. "We can prove 'im wrong."

"Just telling the truth," Billy said, his galaxies swirling brighter. "Small army of super geniuses."

"I can't decide if you're on his side or if you just want me to kick you," K said, which had the younger Billy laughing to himself.

"That's where you get the lack of fear, huh?" he laughed under his breath to James, who nodded with a muted 'mmhmm'.

Scott was still clearly in a good mood - something he'd sorely needed after that chat with Craig Hale - as he put a hand on Toby's shoulder. "Old friends," he explained.

"Uh-huh," Toby said, frowning as he looked between the newcomers. "Are you going to explain why I'm seeing double?" He had assumed some sort of familial relationship with the version of Billy that had silver in his hair, but the older version of James was too much to ignore.

"Different universe," Scott explained as casually as he would any other development in their lives. "Older Billy… and that…" He paused, his expression softening. "That is Wolverine and K."

Logan paused as he watched Toby for a moment, though K blew what little sneak he had at the first opportunity. "My beloved wants to know who your neighbor is," K said to Scott, half holding Logan back with one hand. "So talk fast if you don't want the third wheel."

At that, Logan gave her a dry look, then shooed her off with the boys so he could dive in with Scott and Toby - invited or not. "How close are you two?" Logan asked.

"We have coffee a couple times a week," Toby answered.

Logan turned to Scott for verification, and when Scott nodded, he turned back to Toby. "You up to helpin' him out?"

Toby leaned forward, already nodding. "What's the problem?" He knew there was more going on than a simple visit, seeing as Scott wasn't even fully healed yet from whatever had him looking so rough - but he'd been so tickled to see K that he hadn't gotten around to asking yet.

"He needs people watching out for him that won't believe the crappy 'fine' line that he's gonna pull when he's havin' a hard time." Logan crossed his arms. "Can you do that? Call him on his crap?"

"Why do you think I come over as often as I do?" Toby pointed out, though he was frowning hard. "What's changed, Scott?" he asked seriously, all trace of his earlier good mood gone.

Scott shrugged and let out a long sigh. "I dealt with the problem."

Logan frowned deeper at that, then reached over to poke him in a sore spot hard enough to get a good reaction. "With help, _no plan_ , and by the skin of your teeth."

Scott glared at Logan before he shook his head and looked away again. " _James_ dealt with the problem," he corrected himself.

"Yeah, that's not the part that's got me checkin' into your friends," Logan said. "It's the half-assed plotting you did ahead of time - with an even sloppier backup … that you never told _when_ to be in place." He held Scott's gaze for a long while. "Your brother's lookin' for a place to stay nearby that'll give you a little breathin' room."

"My brother has more important things to do right now, considering the mess of things on that island right now," Scott said impatiently.

"Wanda has most things covered by the sound of it," Logan said. "Oughta be a public announcement soon. For now, though, Alex is runnin' interference with Lorna and still kickin' himself on why he didn't push to make sure you were set before this went down the way it did."

"Happened fast," Scott said, his gaze beyond both of the others at the table.

"Uh-huh," Logan said, nodding slowly. "You know … that'd work comin' from just about anyone on the planet _but_ you. Your backups have backups, and _everyone_ knows where they stand. Try again."

"It did," Scott said stubbornly. "I went in to give him one last chance, and he blew it, and I had to move. That's it."

Logan simply raised one eyebrow. "Fine. You need Warren, Betsy, or 'Ro to move in - or should I tell Alex the boys can bunk up to make room for him?"

"No one's _moving in_. God, Logan, who asked you anyway?" Scott snapped back.

"You're right. I'm free for a while," he said, stepping past him to get more coffee. "Billy can get us back whenever we need to go. No rush."

Scott leaned forward and rubbed his eyes before he glanced up at Toby. "Ignore him. He's a professional pain."

"Alright … but what's he saying that's wrong?" Toby asked. "You _do_ always have backups and redundancies and extra options on everything. Why don't you tell me what happened? What _really_ happened? And don't say you did already, because things changed after you went with the kids this spring. And it got worse after that military thing went down, too. And professional pain or not, it's pretty clear your friend is concerned for you. Concerned enough to come from another universe? That's not just because you forgot something."

"I like this one," Logan said, then turned toward the fridge with a line that would get Scott worked up. "How old do the kids gotta be to buy beer here?"

"Shut up, Logan. You know damn well you're not buying them beer," Scott said irritably, rubbing his eyes again before he met Toby's gaze and sighed. "It went sideways, alright? I didn't get a clean hit because I'm _rusty_ , that's what happened. And the kids came to get me because Billy had me… I don't know. 'Magically wired in case of emergency' is strangely the only way to explain that."

"Smart kid," Toby said. "I guess that makes sense. No good way to practice for something like that."

But that had Logan laughing into the back of his hand. "Not without askin' for _help_ , anyhow," Logan said. "Still have trouble believin' you'd lose a fair fight with Buckethead. Even blind," he added, which had Toby raising his eyebrows. "Never stopped you before."

Scott rolled his eyes. "Damn, Logan, is this how you treat the retired heroes in your universe? They must feel great about themselves."

"Nah, I'm takin' it easy on you," Logan said flatly. "Cause the ones that've retired haven't tried to take themselves out of the game like _that_."

Toby didn't say anything at first, but he did hold up one finger between himself and Scott as he gathered his thoughts. It took a good couple of minutes for him to decide on the right path to start, though Scott hadn't said a word to defend himself from what Logan had said.

He drew in a breath, then sighed, only to repeat the quick, audible motion. "Do you know what that would have done to those kids?" Toby said softly.

Scott sighed. "Toby…"

"Scott. Honestly. What do you think each of them would do? How would they react to that kind of news at this point in their lives?" He kept an open expression, trying to get Scott to get back into his usual habit of thinking a dozen steps ahead or more. "Start with Rachel."

"Toby, it didn't happen that way," Scott said almost gently.

"No, but you had to have considered how they'd take it if it _had_." Toby reached over to rest his hand on Scott's arm. "And you didn't have your million different brilliant strategies in place to prevent it. So … that made it a more likely possibility. So … Rachel." When Scott only locked his jaw down tighter, Toby let out a sigh. "Fine then. Let's go the other way. Nate."

Scott's lips were pressed into a thin line before he let out his breath and shook his head. "I left instructions-"

"That's not what I asked. That's admitting you had a plan for the worst on how to provide for them. But that doesn't tell me how they'd handle it," Toby said.

Scott pinched the bridge of his nose. "I swear," he said. "I _swear_ I went in with every intention of coming back out. This is getting blown out of proportion."

"Except your brother didn't know about the first opportunity, right?" Toby said. "It's not blown out of proportion if I can't even get you to answer simply what your kids would do if you _hadn't_ been able to make it out."

"I promised James I _would_ , Toby," Scott said, and he'd meant to shout it, but it came out at a whisper. He let his shoulders drop. "I promised," he said again, still feeling like he'd _failed_ on so many levels, not least of which being the one thing he'd done right since he lost his team - being a _father_.

"Yes, I'm sure you did," Toby said. "And I'm glad to hear that, but I'm not asking about him, and I'm not going to ask about the other two again either. Not when I can see you know what the answer is and it's worse to you than actually not coming back." He forced a small smile. "Let me help. Wherever I can. James is still showing up twice a week. Now at least I have a heads up on what we need to discuss, too." Then, he tried for a bit of levity. "Another shock, Scott? How long has Billy been coming over _here_?"

Scott shook his head and almost managed a smirk. "Guess it took a transdimensional visit to get him here," he joked, even though he'd _heard_ Billy ask to come home and was prouder than he could say that Billy's home was with _his_ family.

"See, you say things like that, but Scott, it's not normal," Toby teased. "I'm not even sure I know what that means."

"Welcome to the X-Men," Scott said dryly.

"So," Logan said, leaning on the counter. "You want in on the rotation to get him to therapy? Or do I need to make sure whoever's drivin' you has enough juice to make you go?"

"He'll go with me," Toby said calmly. "And of course, I'd be happy to join the rotation."

"I'd like to see that," Logan said with a nod. "I'll talk to the others before the next appointment."

* * *

While Logan and Scott were making practical arrangements for the near future and how to get Scott the backup he needed, K had decided after watching Billy be nervous for the last ten minutes that it was time to go get a drink from down the block. She made a point to give both of them a kiss on the cheek, then got to her feet. "I'll be back. Just going to get a little fresh air, watch the perimeter … you know how it is."

"Not yet, but I'm learning," James said, which earned a pleased but proud smile from her before she headed for the door.

"All the same, you two need a moment alone. Stay here; be adorable. I'll be back before you know it."

James watched her go but was still shell-shocked from the time they'd been spending with his other dimensional parents. But Billy had things that needed to be done, too.

"So," Billy said as he took James' hand and drew his attention back to him. "I need to go back home with Tommy. I don't know how long it will take, but I know that I can't - _and don't want_ to - miss it." He looked anxious as he readjusted how he was seated with James, who very suddenly didn't look like he could quite look Billy in the eyes. The guilt was that easy to see.

James wanted to reply with something more reassuring than what he had to offer. The simple "I'm sorry" that had been said over and over just … it wasn't enough, and because James had been the one that had dealt the fatal blow, there was no way that James could have gone with Billy to pay his respects. It didn't matter how horribly he felt about it; it would ring hollow and only serve to hurt Billy and his family, as far as James was concerned.

The very real threat on James' life was inconsequential to him at that point in time, and the fact was that James honestly felt like he deserved it. In trying to preserve his father's life, he'd taken the patriarch of Billy's family.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Billy promised. "I don't want to walk out on Mom or Aunt Lorna before they're okay, though."

James nodded his agreement and swallowed, staring at their hands before he ran his thumb across Billy's. "I'll just be here with Dad. And Logan and Mom." He finally looked up to meet Billy's gaze. "I wish there was something I could do…"

Billy reached up to rest his hand at the back of James' neck before he leaned toward him to rest their foreheads together. "Just try to remember that I don't blame you, okay? Neither does Mom or anyone else that matters."

"Well, I blame me," James said. "Does that mean that-"

Billy leaned forward the rest of the way to steal a kiss and stop him from finishing his sentence. "You know what I meant."

"Yeah," James breathed out before he pulled Billy over to wrap him up in a tight hug. "I'm still sorry for _everything_."

"And I'm still just glad you're alive."

"Love you too."


	63. Royal Succession

News was finally starting to leak out of Genosha just before the state funeral that Wanda and Lorna had planned for Erik. All of the official things had been taken care of, and for all intents and purposes, legally speaking, Wanda was now officially in charge of Genosha. The ceremonial part would come later as a means to ease the people of Genosha into their new era with Wanda at the head.

But none of that was the real focus just then. Most if not all of Genosha had turned out to pay their respects to Erik. His most radical and devout followers had tried to step in, offering to carry the casket, but Lorna had decided that wouldn't be the best message to the people of Genosha. Instead, she alone handled the task by levitating his coffin to the open-air auditorium where everyone would be allowed to pass by to send him off by before the ceremony started.

Crowds filled the seating and lined the streets, many of them weeping, though no one was going to speculate if they were tears of sorrow or joy, since Magneto had been ridiculously heavy-handed in keeping Genosha exactly as he wanted it and refusing to let those that weren't coming to live there even visit. Much of Genosha was sorely missing family who had long ago only said goodbye as a means to keep their mutant members safe. Not everyone had hateful family, after all.

The royal family was in their finest, looking perfect right down the line - even Alex had gotten a fresh haircut to Lorna's liking and was spending every spare second that he wasn't snuggling one of their kids holding on to her and showering her with situationally appropriate affection in the form of little kisses when she'd lean toward him or reassuring squeezes while their daughter held onto her.

Wanda looked every bit the monarch where she stood with Vision and the twins - steady, even, and collected - though the family knew how anxious she was about taking the public stage when it had looked for so long as if Erik would simply hand things over to Billy when he had felt he'd had enough of being a statesman. She was entirely unprepared in many ways but still _far_ more prepared than Billy could hope to be at such a young age.

Before the prayers started, Wanda made a point to reach out and take a hold of both Tommy and Billy's hands with Vision a step behind them as they made a unified front for the crowd and the press.

Steve and Tony had made the trek to Genosha - the first non-mutants allowed publicly in _years_ \- to pay their respects and, more importantly, support Wanda when she needed the backup. Near them was also representation from the X-Men in the form of Bobby, Kitty, Angel, and Storm with her family. Mia was doing her level best not to look too wide-eyed at the magnificent sparkling city around her - or the vast number of physically mutated individuals that set the tone for not _one_ person staring at her in the crowd.

No one from Scott's family had attended or even honestly entertained the idea of doing so. Information had managed to leak out to Erik's most rabid supporters about how the old king had died, and already, they were calling for blood. They knew that Billy had been in attendance but had taken the stance that the boy had been forced into helping them, so both Scott and James were on the top of their list. Already, there were rumblings from a few that both Scott and James should be tried and publicly executed in Genosha for their crimes. Not that Nate or Rachel had been seen as entirely innocent either. By virtue of their being there, they had people looking for them for the crime of tampering with Billy's mind. They seemed determined to overlook the fact that Billy and James had been dating for a long while. The conspiracy theories flying were elaborate and not at all flattering to anyone in the Summers clan.

But the ceremony itself was lovely, and not at all the over-the-top affair that Magneto's followers had wanted to see. It was tasteful, respectful, and outlined Erik's greatest accomplishments, glossing over his most maniacal moments to focus on the man that his daughters and grandchildren knew best, finally exposing him to the world as the family man that he was. It was a side of him that few people knew about - and those that did were almost exclusively his family.

There wasn't much of a lull between the end of the funeral and the start of Wanda's coronation. The royal family had changed clothes, of course, as a means to illustrate the difference in mood. For Erik, they were mostly in black, but for Wanda, everything from their color schemes to their mood was lighter as she went through the understated ceremony that was performed mostly by Lorna, though Billy and Tommy both had their roles, along with Alex's kids. It was a little thing that Lorna had suggested - that all of them attest in front of a crowd that they supported Wanda in her rule as a means to stop any trouble before it started.

As soon as the ceremony was over, the group headed into the palace for a quiet celebration that was well attended by the royal family, the X-Men, and the Avengers that were more than happy to try and tread the line between respectfully acknowledging Erik and outright celebrating Wanda.

But it was also a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Tommy to show Mia around his home. He'd wanted desperately to take her there, and yet, he hadn't done it sooner, having known that bringing her there when his grandfather was still in power would have been a massive breach of trust with her mother. For as deeply head-over-heels as Tommy was for Mia … he didn't want to screw anything up. And he hadn't wanted Mia to be subject to his grandfather's insanity, either.

He couldn't quite focus on the what ifs or much of anything else over dinner - which was _far_ less formal than the dinner the Summers family had in welcome to Genosha. Not when all he wanted to do was to take Mia to his favorite place in Genosha and show her what he loved best about his home. It was the first time he was nervous about showing someone around. So he didn't know what to expect when he got her up to the top of one of the mountains near the hydroelectric dam just before sunset and then immediately couldn't stop bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waited for her to react.

Mia smiled as she looked around, taking in the view - and waiting slightly longer to say anything than she would normally purely because she knew Tommy was about to come out of his socks waiting for her opinion. But then, with her bright yellow eyes sparkling, she spun to face him and threw her arms around him in a hug. "It's beautiful here," she told him. "I feel like you can see everything all at once."

Tommy grinned brilliantly. "That's what I like about it. Anytime things get too dramatic, I end up coming up here to remind myself, hey, I live on an amazing island that would be a prime vacation spot if it wasn't a one-way ticket for anyone I'd brought." He kissed her and then grinned again. "Plus, can you imagine if it _snowed_ here?"

Mia laughed. "I take you sledding one time and you're _addicted_."

"That's because it was _amazing._ "

Mia laughed again and kissed him for good measure, which really just precipitated a longer non-discussion on the privacy of the mountaintop.

* * *

Not every tour of Genosha was hitting the highlights, so to speak - since almost as soon as the funeral was over, while Wanda brought Steve and Tony under her protection, Bobby lead his fellow X-Men to Erik's prisons - which were, the X-Men quickly noted, bigger than they'd expect to see relative to the size of the populace. And considering how often Bobby had been there, he had a pretty good handle on who was there for disagreeing with Erik's policies and who was there for _actual_ crimes.

Kitty had already been there a few times to make sure Bobby was alright, but for Warren and Ororo, the extent to which Erik had been imprisoning his people was physical evidence of how far he'd fallen from his missive, a fact that Bobby emphasized as they walked further in. "I mean, Magneto added a wing or three the last few years, but they didn't exactly get cozier. C'mon, I'll show you where the original wings were. There's still some people there for, like, long-term stuff. _Most_ of it's deserved, but Remy's been back there since forever…"

Ororo paused, looking down the aisles and hallways as if evidence of her old companion would materialize out of thin air. The prison itself was made of metal, but a lot of it was old and dark and not at all pleasant. "Why didn't we come here _immediately_?" she asked. "And what did he _do?_ "

Bobby shrugged with both hands outturned. "Okay, so, the stuff he stole was definitely just to _irk_ Magneto? But then it just kind of…"

Ororo's shoulders dropped. "He was making bombs again, wasn't he?"

"Well, he sort of got in the most trouble for the attempted prison break. My idea, his know-how - just kinda got caught."

"His bombs," Ororo said, though she started striding down the hall all the same. "He's been here this whole time?"

"At first, he was kind of in and out like I was? Mostly causing trouble because Magneto said we couldn't leave? But then the last, oh, five years? Ish? Once Magneto started getting _super_ controlling again and paranoid, our little prison break scheme got Remy a life sentence, and I only got out because Kitty had my alibi."

"If he's dead, I'm going to arrange to have Magneto raised from the grave so I can kill him myself for locking both of you up _at all_."

Bobby shrugged with both hands in his pockets. "Kinda what we do, isn't it? Do the right thing, try to help people speaking truth to power, get locked up for it and then do it all over again?"

"It seems as if the pattern is changing," Ororo said, and though she was being as positive as she _could_ , she was still furious - as evidenced by the gathering clouds far above the prison. "Lead the way. If we can't find a key, I'll have to let him out myself."

As they traveled through the prison, they saw a few familiar faces - and all of them looked entirely downtrodden and weary for the time they'd spent there. And Bobby was on friendly terms with even those the other X-Men didn't know. Storm's eyes were flashing with every casual story Bobby dropped, like, "And she organized a protest to get human family here - didn't work, obviously" and "He was the mastermind behind this _great_ push for holiday visits. Most creative signs I ever saw made out of bioluminescence…"

"Get all of them out," Ororo said, her voice shaking ever so slightly since, this was the first time she'd been around a prison _at all_ since the whole team had been caught up with Graydon Creed. "No one spends one more minute in this hellhole."

Kitty and Bobby shared a look and Kitty started working to set as many of them free as possible - all while Ororo kept a steady, determined stride deeper into the prison. She had a goal - and she wasn't going to stop until it was met. When they got to Remy's cell, naturally, the keys were nowhere to be seen, and before Bobby could even start to look for they key, Ororo started picking the lock. She couldn't even _see_ Remy, but Bobby swore up and down that the corner cell in near-black shadows was where Remy had been locked up that whole time.

"Whatsa matter?" Remy drawled out from inside sounding weak and weary. "You forget how to use a key? What kinda slow fool they get to bother ol' Remy now dat can't even work a _key_?"

"Don't have a key, but I brought Storm," Bobby called back, grinning. "That work for you?"

There was a beat of silence before Remy spoke again. "You best not be makin' up stories again, _Rober'."_

"Would I lie to you?"

"Yes, you sho' would."

"Okay, would I lie to you on this, the day of Magneto's funeral?" Bobby asked, grinning somehow even _wider_ because he knew the news hadn't hit the prisons.

"Who finally kill de ol' battle axe?" Remy asked with a bright chuckle. "I know he ain' gon' die from old age and comfort."

"Would you believe a combo of Scott and James Howlett?"

" _No_ ," Remy said, sounding perfectly scandalized. "Dat boy ain't _old enough_ to go causin' trouble wit' ol' fearless." He let out a scoffing sound. "And besides. _Dat is not de kinda ting that Slim do._ "

"Remember how mad he used to get when anyone threatened the kids?" Bobby leaned back. "Magneto wanted to kill James."

"Stormy if you truly there," Remy called out. "You closest. Hit him for me - just for old times, would you? I cain't reach him yet."

"Hey, I didn't _do_ anything!" Bobby laughed.

"Just spinnin' tales, is all," Remy accused.

"'Ro, tell him I'm not lying," Bobby said.

"I'm not telling either of you anything while I'm concentrating on this ridiculous lock," Ororo said. "Both of you can be quiet for a few moments."

"Stormy," Remy said, the smile apparent in his voice. "You de prettiest 'ting ol' Remy seen since comin' to dis here mess of an island."

"You can't see me yet," Ororo said, shaking her head.

"Don' matter none when I'm _right_."

"He is," Bobby put in, just to get a huff out of Ororo.

"You're both terrible," Ororo said half of a beat before the last tumbler fell into place and she gave the door a pull. Remy was inside, shackled and chained tightly enough that he had no hope of getting his hands to meet. He was filthy, scrawny, and obviously uncared for entirely if the long, matted hair and full tangled beard were any measure of how utterly abandoned he'd been - outside of basic care to keep him _alive_.

"Remy right still," he said, then twisted his hands as much as he was able to show his palms up. "Don't suppose you got it in you to handle mebbe one or two more lil' ol' locks?"

Ororo nearly dropped her picks as she stared at the state of him for a long moment, then rushed across the cell, swearing to herself under her breath in every language that she knew as she tried to keep her touch on the tumblers light, even if she wanted to jam the picks through the stupid cylinder.

While Ororo worked, Bobby stepped through the door too, and winced when he saw the state of affairs. After all, he'd have been in the same situation if Kitty hadn't _somehow_ convinced Magneto that he'd been (badly) flirting with her instead of plotting with Remy. "Told you I'd get you out. You know. Eventually. You look terrible, by the way."

"Better'n dead," Remy replied a moment before Storm got one of the shackles open. He reached over to try and help only to get his hand slapped away.

"If you were capable of getting out of it before now you would have. I came all the way here and through this blasted prison to get you _out_ … I am not going to spend one _second_ more here that I don't have to," Ororo said, sounding entirely short at his attempt to help. Which was about when Bobby realized that Ororo simply hadn't been _around_ any prisons.

"Hey," Bobby said quietly, taking in their surroundings more carefully. "I'm sure Remy can unlock himself if you want to make sure Kitty has things under control. He really just needed a free hand and a pick."

"I'm almost done now," Ororo said, though it took her a few extra seconds before she did, in fact finish picking the lock. As soon as the shackle fell open, she threw her arms around Remy in a tight hug. "You are coming _home._ "

Remy smiled and pulled her in tighter in response, though his strength simply wasn't anywhere near where it should have been. "Miss you too, Stormy."

Once the hug broke, Bobby slipped in to help Ororo get Remy on his feet, directing the way out. He wasn't exactly comfortable down there either, but it had to be pure torture for Ororo to be in the dark, underground prison and to be reminded of all that had happened. And really, Kitty and Warren were handling freeing the prisoners just fine, so Bobby didn't mind going straight to the fastest path to sunlight anyway.

As soon as they were out in the open air, Bobby let Ororo and Remy find a spot to sit and then thumbed over his shoulder. "So, I'm gonna grab some food and stuff," he said, more as something to do than anything else before he left.

"If I had known you were being treated like _this_ ," Ororo said, shaking her head as she let the sentiment fall. She didn't _know_ what she would have done, but she knew she wouldn't have ignored it.

"Not a way you coulda known wit'out bein' right dere wit' us," Remy assured her with all the warmth he always held for her.

"I still feel as if we should have _done_ something," Ororo said as she reached out to get his hair out of his face. "You need a trim. And likely a decontamination."

"What, you mean ol' Remy don't look dashin'? You _must_ be seein' tings."

"Perhaps after you've had a sandwich. And a _shave_." She smiled to herself. "I'll buy you a gym, too."

Remy chuckled. "Cain't say no to dat," he teased. "Prolly should look more like my usual self 'fore I see how much yo' lil Mia growed up."

"You'll need to do it quickly, then," Ororo told him. "She's here, with me." She gestured toward the center of the island. "Or, with her sweetheart, more like."

"Oh?" Remy leaned forward, suddenly more engaged. "And who dat be?"

"Tommy Maximoff," Ororo replied evenly.

"Ah," Remy said, nodding sagely. "Well, you know what dey say 'bout funerals happenin' in pairs."

"I thought it was in threes," Ororo said. "Which, I believe if anything were to happen to Tommy, she would hunt down who did it. So … three."

Remy shrugged easily. "Ah, but she gotta catch Remy first."

"She could catch you as easily as Kurt always could."

"Now den, Stormy, you jes get me outta dat prison to hurt me so?" Remy teased.

"I've missed you more than you know," Ororo told him. "If I don't pick on you now, how will you know how much I love you?" She squeezed his arm. "Come on, you do need to get cleaned up. You can tell me how you found yourself in such dire straits - and I can tell you how we came to _visit_ Genosha."

She pulled him along, not taking no for an answer as they headed off toward where the family was staying. "Mia won't be back until much later," Ororo told him. "So we have time to catch up."

"Good, 'cause you been sorely missed too," Remy said, still smiling at her. "'Course, 'twere probably a good ting you missed out on the ol' man's jails. Cain't imagine you'd've taken dem any better'n Bobby, and he jus' bout lost his mind de first time he t'rown in."

"I imagine that if I'd been caught by him or his servants, I'd have likely fried them with lightning before it had gotten that far," Ororo replied. "But you're right. I would not have done well to go back into a cell of any kind. I had wondered how Bobby managed to handle it enough to joke about it - even with his sense of humor."

"Practice," Remy said simply. "De first time he come out…" He shrugged lightly but was frowning as deeply as she'd ever seen him do. "Me an' Miss Kitty do what we can to keep him out, y'know?"

"You didn't seem to do too well on that front yourself," Ororo pointed out.

"Man tried to say ol' Remy cain't go to _Mardi Gras_ , Stormy," Remy said as if that was the height of insult.

"Remy Etinne LeBeau, please do not tell me you found yourself in _chains_ over Mardi Gras," Ororo said with a sly smile, since she knew that wasn't the case - but she wouldn't rush him into the story without teasing either."

"Okay, den, I won't tell you dat," he teased right back.

"Then it was likely a girl."

"Both de princesses, yeah," Remy said, his grin turning more troublemaking.

"Ah. That would do it," she said, nodding to herself. "And likely why Magneto's penalty for dating the royal family _escalated_."

"Don't need to worry 'bout Mia on that count," Remy pointed out. "Dat is if Iceman's tales are true."

"His story is true," Ororo said. "But according to Tommy, there were quite a few hopeful young people that ended up dead because of Erik's overprotective streak."

Remy sighed. "Sounds right," he admitted.

Ororo took a few moments, inspired by a little time with Logan, to give Remy an abbreviated version of events. "Erik made a few threats in the wrong direction and ended up expiring quite suddenly as a result. Wanda's coronation was earlier. Both the funeral and her ceremony were lovely."

Remy laughed outright. "You mean to tell me he was tellin' de truth?"

"Hard to believe, but yes, yes he was."

"Dat puts lil James wit Billy, den…" Remy laughed. "Alrighty den."

"I thought you'd appreciate that," Ororo said with a sly smile.

Remy grinned even wider. "Not many prospects in a cell. Gonna have to make up for lost time, me."

"I'm sure you will be overrun with options as soon as you're back to your charming self."

Remy nodded, drawing himself up. "Sandwich and haircut and you gon' see 'em line de streets."

"I'm sure they'll be just waiting their turn to catch your eye." She leaned toward him to give him another hug. "And not just on the island."

"You did say we goin' home," Remy pointed out, wrapping her up warmly.

"I did. And I believe a cup of chicory coffee will be waiting for you there."

"Knew you love ol' Remy," he teased, wrapping her back up - and the two of them settled into an easy back and forth as they caught up on everything that had happened.

* * *

Things had been overly busy in Genosha - for most everyone in the Maximoff family. Wanda was swamped in details as she stepped into her new role as leader and in the wake of Magneto's funeral, she was doing everything she could to keep her head above water.

Tommy was not so discreetly spending every second he could with Mia -and a lot of time he technically shouldn't. But no one was going to touch that when he was so _happy_.

And while Vision was spending his time close to Wanda as always - watching for security threats and analyzing everything and everyone - Billy found himself with more spare time alone than he'd anticipated.

He'd been able to push back a lot of what had happened by staying busy. He didn't _have_ to think about how his grandfather had died if he was helping his parents. Or keeping Tommy out of trouble. Or watching Remy try to be both the snuggliest uncle to Mia and the most intimidating uncle to Tommy. Or any of those things.

But the thing was… when he was by himself, he started to think about the little things that were sticking in his memory. Like the fire smell that lingered in the air around Rachel when she was so close to losing it. Or the way blood that hadn't dried yet felt sticky on his hands. Or the sound that his grandfather had made when he was stabbed. Or the unnatural way Scott's eyes had sunken in. Or… or any of it.

And he knew - he _knew_ -that Tommy had been teasing and upset and worried and all the things that Tommy always was when he said that there would have been less drama if he'd come along, but what if Billy had actually thought that far ahead? What if he'd gotten Tommy there to end the fight fast and help him get everyone out and to help?

His grandfather would have been furious, of course, and would have kept coming after Scott and James and probably Rachel and Nate too, if Billy was honest. But they could have done something different, right?

Billy sighed and ran his hands through his hair again. Even his _mom_ had seemed resigned to the fact that her own father was putting himself on the path of his own destruction, but Billy was sure he could have done something. He knew his mom had told him about her old mistakes and made him swear not to change _people_ when he changed reality, so he couldn't have changed _Erik_ but… but still…

"Don't. Please."

Billy looked up, surprised, to see that the older version of, well, himself was standing there. And for some reason, the first thing Billy thought to say was, "I thought you weren't coming to Genosha. Weren't you sticking with James and Scott?"

"They're doing fine with Logan and K," the older Billy replied. "I came here, not just for them, but for _you_ , too."

Billy shrugged and looked down again. "I'll be okay. It's just a lot, you know?"

He nodded, looking exactly as Billy'd seen himself do, which was a little odd, but that was to be expected. "I _do_ know. And I know what happens if things don't work out right - which, I hate to say it, but this … this was the best case scenario for _most_ everyone involved."

"Really?" Billy gave his older self a dry look. "The version of this where James hates himself, his dad is barely keeping himself going, my grandfather is dead, and everyone thinks I got telepathically forced into helping them do it - _that's the best version_?"

The older Billy waved one hand. "The people saying that stuff won't hold anyone's attention for long - and _yes_ , this is still the best outcome." When his younger self didn't look convinced _at all_ , Billy sighed, though he knew it was coming anyhow. "I can _tell_ you what happens in the other scenarios. It's more or less the same with minor differences here and there, but I'd rather not show you unless I have to. It's _ugly_."

"There's got to be one where I thought to bring Tommy and James didn't have to kill my grandfather," he said softly.

"There is," the older Billy agreed. "And James didn't kill Magneto. But Magneto _did_ kill James. And Scott."

Billy narrowed his eyes. "What? But that's not-"

"The dampener was on before anyone showed up. Tommy couldn't speed in there any faster than anyone else, but the distraction was enough that Magneto pulled the knife _out_ of James before he could hit him back." He shrugged. "So the Summers kids got to watch and Scott got to hear _him_ die, just like he heard James' parents die."

Billy kept shaking his head. "No, there's got to be… there's got to be a way we figured something out without anyone dying in that room."

"Sure, but James still died when Magneto decided he was too much of a liability, and so did Kate Summers for marrying a mutant - which … Magneto made illegal. There's another one where James lives a little longer, but in his attempt to get back to _you_ , he gets picked up by Hydra. You're still going to want to watch out for that anyhow. He doesn't have the experience to resist all the horrible things Viper would do if she can get a hold of him."

Billy bit his lip but nodded. "It just… feels like … I mean, he was my _grandfather_. I should be, I don't know - shouldn't I hate James or something? Or … I feel like I can't figure out what to _do_."

"If you weren't there to see it yourself - to _know_ that it went down the way it did and to have seen the hatred Magneto had for James, _yes_ , you would hate James for what happened. But you _saw_ what happened. Magneto had been escalating and he _fully intended_ to kill James sooner or later. Just like he killed all the others. You know it wasn't a malicious thing on James' part, but if you _do_ decide to break it off, be sure you really think it over, and that it's really what you want to do."

Billy frowned and shook his head. "No… that's just it. I don't want to do that, but I feel like I should, you know?"

"That's your grandfather talking," the older Billy said gently. "He was grooming you for most of your life to follow in his footsteps. And it's still up to you on how you go forward."

Billy let out a long sigh. "Any chance you could give me a hint? I'm still trying to get my feet on solid ground here."

"What kind of a hint do you want?" The older Billy smiled. "Because … if it's relationship advice …"

"Just… tell me if me and James can work even with all this crap, because I don't want to make things worse if we're headed for a crash and burn," Billy said earnestly.

"Is that what you want? To stay with him?"

"I think so?" Billy closed one eye.

"It's not a trick question. Really. I just don't want to influence you one way or the other before you have your mind made up."

"Then… yeah. Yeah, I think so. I'm… I'm about ninety-percent sure on that one, yeah."

"Then yes, it can absolutely work out." He broke into a teasing smile. "Of course, there's _one_ version of events where you split _now_ and he more or less becomes _just like Tony Stark._ Don't hope for that one. That leaves a wake of broken hearts with vendettas."

Billy couldn't help but laugh. "Oh. Wow. That's strangely specific." He smiled and leaned back. "But I'll take it. Thanks."

"You're welcome," the older Billy smiled softly. "And honestly, you don't have to decide right now. You can take some time first. Talk to a professional - either one that doesn't know who you are, or one that's not intimidated by the crown. It would do you some good whether you stay with James or not." He shrugged. "In fact … if you don't want to talk to any of the ones that the Summers kids know, or the ones that Jan might suggest, I have a great suggestion for you." With a flourish, the older Billy produced a business card out of thin air and handed it to his younger self - with the information on how to make an appointment to talk to a psychologist by the name of Rebecca Kaplan.


	64. Support System

K didn't take hardly _any_ time to run down Craig Hale … and everyone and everything he held dear. When she was done, she made her way over to Scott during coffee and dropped her pristine dossier in front of him so he could comb through it himself, effectively distracting him from the news coming out of Genosha. "They're clean. All of them. _All of_ _them_ , all their friends, family, the whole group of them are all pro-rights for all and your picture perfect example of classic southern morals - _the good ones_. Not the redneck light a torch kind," K told him.

Scott blinked in surprise. "That… paints a picture," he said, already opening the file to get into it.

"I try to paraphrase in a way that both summarizes neatly and makes you want to know more," K said sweetly on her way to grab a cup of coffee.

"Well, mission accomplished," Scott said, shaking his head as he tried not to react too much. He'd missed _this_ too.

K pulled up a chair across from Scott, though she was very sure that he hadn't noticed she was blocking the exit as she settled in for coffee with him and the kids. It wasn't something she normally liked to do - stick around while someone read her work, but … she figured that Scott would probably think she was just worried about him and wanted to stay to clarify. Especially since that's pretty much what everyone else had been doing thus far.

And while she was there, keeping track of Scott with a fat folder of intel, Logan had gotten his Billy to take him over to the institute to have a word with the headmistress and her staff. The group of them had just returned from Genosha, and they gathered up as soon as Storm had asked them to. Even Bobby and Kitty had made it there, glad to put Genosha behind them and to let Wanda run things there - but before they could get into the marathon of the same questions everyone asked, Logan held up a hand to stop them.

"Short story is that I was brought here to help. That's all you really need to know about me," he said. "I know you all went through the wringer, but it's high time you got together again for a bigger cause."

"Bobby and I already told the kids we'd join up in the new team," Kitty said, though she was staring at Logan like she wanted to drink in every second she could see him.

"I'm not talkin' about the team," Logan said, smirking crookedly at her. "Though I'm glad they'll have _you_ to whip 'em into shape, half-pint."

Kitty smiled a little wider when she heard it. "Missed you."

"Love you too," Logan said, then shifted his focus slightly since for him, it was a lot harder to see _Kitty_ smiling and brightly ready to dive into the fight. "Scott needs your help and the damn mule won't admit it."

Bobby seemed to straighten up at that and then leaned forward. "It's that bad?" he asked, thinking of how Scott had been talking on Genosha.

"Yeah," Logan confirmed. "By some miracle, I got him to talk to a doctor, but he needs to get there every day - same time until the _doc_ says it's time to ease up. You can imagine how well ol' Fearless took that."

"Not well at all," Warren surmised, though he wasn't surprised at the news after he'd gone to donate some blood.

"I drove him there, hung out, waited for him to finish, and I got a talkin' to from the doc informing me he _can not_ be alone under any circumstances. At all."

"I didn't realize the situation was so dire," Ororo said, looking crestfallen.

"You know as well as I do if he wants to hide it, no one'd know how bad it was, Ro," Logan said. He paused and turned her way fully. "When we're done with this, I needed to talk to _you_ anyhow. Other matters."

"You know my door is always open to you," she said with a fond smile.

Logan nodded and again, spread his focus across the group . "I need to know who can take the time to help him. There should be some kind of rotation figured out to keep him around people. Even for as little as I've been here, Rachel keeps tellin' me to keep doin' what I'm doin' - and I'm tellin' you, he's not that reactive to whatever crap I throw at him, so those kids? They're used to him acting a lot worse than we're seein'."

"Rachel's been worried about him," Betsy said quietly. "For a long time."

"She's been scared to death she's gonna firebird all at once, too," Logan agreed. "But I think that might lighten up if she isn't so worried her dad's gonna off himself."

"He was thinking of doing it on Genosha," Bobby said in a quiet tone no one had heard from him before.

"Yeah, and James talked him out of that before he showed up to do in Erik," Logan agreed. "He's gotten a little better but he's still right on the edge."

"And some guardian angel brought you in to get us all involved," Betsy surmised.

Logan held his arms out wide. "What can I say? It's my secondary mutation."

"Of course we'll help," Ororo said. "We couldn't possibly turn our backs."

"Good," Logan said, nodding to himself as he let his shoulders drop. "I think I've got it for today - or part of it. You need to figure out who's goin' back with me to start up though."

"I'll go," Ororo said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Kitty can make a rotation in the meantime."

Logan nodded again, and looked as if he wanted to say _something,_ but couldn't quite get a grasp on it yet. But before he could quite get going, Kitty was the one to break form and then all but tackled him in a hug.

"I missed you so much," she breathed out.

"Missed you too," Logan replied just as quietly as he held onto her tighter than she was expecting, fighting to keep his composure.

Kitty frowned but decided not to ask him why he had any reason to miss her, instead holding on tight until she finally, slowly, peeled herself off and wiped her eyes. "I just… thanks," she said. "For everything, okay? I never got to say it enough, and I just love you, okay?"

Logan was shaking his head at that. "Goes both ways. You made me proud of you every time I turned around."

Kitty nodded and sniffled before she latched on again - which set off a round of hugs from everyone there who really had missed him. It took Logan some time to finally get past them so he and Ororo could head back to Scott's house in Brooklyn.

Ororo's eyes were still shining as she smiled Logan's way, though she hadn't said anything yet, simply drinking him in.

"So you know," Logan said as they headed off. "It's not just Scott I'm worried about, Ro."

"Oh?"

"James was the one that had the final blow on Erik. He doesn't remember a bit of it either," he told her quietly. "I've talked to him about it while I've been here, but you know … _you know_ how that hits a person. You've seen it enough. Kitty too."

"Yes, he told me as much just after it happened. You know that I'll watch out for him," Ororo promised.

"Rachel needs a light touch," he told her. "She's so stressed out about what might happen if she loses control - you know that's a recipe for disaster."

"I know," Ororo told him. "Betsy has been working closely with her, and Nate and James both have been wonderful with her in the few scares she's had."

Logan shook his head. "That's not all, Ro. She has to learn to harness it or when it finally does decide to come out, she won't have a prayer."

Ororo let her shoulders drop, but she nodded along quietly. "I know. I've talked to Scott about it, and I know that they were working together before the X-Men debuted and Magneto showed his face again."

"Don't tell her to hold it all in all the time. I know you're all layin' low for now, but she _needs_ to start small so she can build up the mental muscle to handle it when it's bigger."

"There hasn't been anywhere safe to practice," Ororo admitted. "The school is watched closely."

"Then tell Stark to make a place. If you can't, I'll sic K on him before we go."

Ororo smirked at that. "As entertaining as that would be, Tony Stark has actually been one of our best allies. He still feels guilty about what happened, and he's done everything in his power to help us when we ask."

"Then he can work something out for you," Logan said. "He can see potential. That means he can see the potential wreck this will be if she can't handle it when the time comes."

"I know," Ororo said in a breath. She leaned back. "We've spent so long in the shadows, Logan."

"Time to step into the light," Logan said.

"Those kids are leading the charge," Ororo said with a fond smile. "I know they have their own issues, but Logan, I'm proud of them too."

"They're good kids," Logan agreed. "So teach 'em everything you can. I didn't get much time, but I tried to go over a few things with them. You could do a helluva lot better."

"Believe me: I've been hearing the same thing from Mia," Ororo said. She sighed. "It's just difficult to change when we've been living a desperate attempt to keep history from repeating itself. I know it's time, and Bobby and Kitty both have agreed to come onto our staff as teachers specifically to help us build the school back to its old splendor." She smirked. "As strange as it sounds, they're 'new blood'. Living on Genosha as long as they did, they've been using their powers much more than we have."

"Gonna have to get back into it, windrider."

"I do miss it," Ororo said with a smile. She reached over to rest her hand on his arm. "We _are_ stepping into the light, my dear friend. I hope you won't worry too much about us. I believe we really have turned a corner."

"If things go too far south again, I'm sure Billy'll bring us back to help."

"As much as I love your presence, I'll try not to let it get that bad," Ororo said, letting her smile fall. "Especially if it means risking our fearless leader. I knew that he was struggling, but I don't think anyone thought…"

"You know if he's showin' any signs at all it's bad," Logan said. "He'd always hide it otherwise."

"Yes, but you didn't see him at the time it happened," Ororo said.

"No, I didn't," Logan agreed.

"I don't mind telling you, Logan: that was the lowest I have ever seen him."

"Good thing it can't happen again like that," Logan said.

She nodded. "It changed all of us," she admitted. "But it changed the world as well. Even though we retreated… I think Mia and the others have a point. Losing the X-Men showed the world what we were _truly_ doing. I have to hope that means the path will be easier for them, even if they are starting out essentially where we were."

"They'll do fine," Logan said, covering her hand with his. "They got you _and_ Scott."

"And they will have _both_ of us for as long as possible," Ororo said fiercely. "I won't lose any more friends."

"No more like _that_ anyhow," Logan said almost sheepishly.

Ororo sighed and then squeezed his arm. "This is different," she said. "You're only a visitor. I'm happy to see you, but you're not the same man we lost."

"No," Logan agreed. "I have my wife and my kids."

"I'm glad," she said. "You deserve to be happy."

"We do what we can," he said, smirking at her. "And you're one hell of an aunt to them."

"I _am_ a goddess," she pointed out, smirking right back.

It wasn't long before they pulled in to Scott's house and Logan gave her one last look while they were alone. "I doubt you'll get as much of a fight out of him as I do."

"He needs you sometimes too," Ororo said. "I hope you keep yours in line."

"We're doin' alright," Logan said. "He's white-haired in my reality."

"Please tell me that's because he's much older and not because he stressed himself into it."

"It is," Logan said, smirking. "But it could be both. His son and my daughter are married."

"No." Ororo broke into a laugh. "That's beautiful."

"They grew up together, and were more or less goin' back and forth with crushes their whole lives."

"Then it was meant to be," she decided, then leaned over to squeeze his arm. "You're so lucky."

"Don't I know it." he pulled her closer to the door. "No tellin' what we're gonna find in there. I left 'em with K 'in charge'."

Ororo laughed outright. "Oh, so she's teaching them Swedish and how to draw and quarter their enemies."

"Likely," Logan agreed with a chuckle, and when they stepped inside, K had the kids and Scott around the table playing some ridiculous card game where they all had a card stuck to their foreheads - and she was, as Ororo had predicted - insisting that everyone _only_ answer in Swedish to get their points. And Scott was right behind K in points.

Ororo couldn't help but grin when she saw it - especially when she saw that every single person at the table was _laughing_ and enjoying themselves. "Oh, I've missed this," she said.

"Great, let's join 'em," Logan said - quick to slip into the seat directly across from K. Scott caught his breath enough to look between the two of them and shake his head.

"Oh no. They're going to cheat off each other if we let them," Scott said, even as K and Logan didn't bother looking at anyone else at the table - already going through their miniscule cues and prompts.

"Like Nate and Rachel aren't already," James pointed out, shaking his head and enjoying every _second_ well enough that he wasn't really thinking about how guilty he'd been feeling.

"I didn't realize you were coming," Scott told Ororo as she sat down at the table on Rachel's other side.

"As you can see," she said tipping her head to either side of the table where K and Logan were clearly giving each other cues, "we can't keep them here forever."

"No, of course not," Scott said. "They've got their own kids to get back to. I know."

"I forgot how much _flirting_ went on all the time," Ororo laughed.

"It's been nonstop this whole time," Scott said with a grin. "Explains why they apparently have a small army just on their own back home."

"As if our Logan and K wouldn't have done the same given the chance?" Ororo said.

"I know they would have. They were already having a 'discussion' about having more," Scott said.

"Did she show them to you?" Ororo asked.

Scott nodded. "She's got pictures on her phone - which, by the way, is way more advanced than anything I've seen, so they're pretty far ahead of us, timeline-wise."

"I'm not surprised," she said.

Scott nodded, then turned her way and let his voice drop a little. "So, what did Logan tell you?"

"That he needed to go home - possibly to work on another one by the look of things - and that you could use the support system."

Scott nodded at that and let it drop, not about to say anything more if he didn't have to volunteer more information. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Scott," she said, then leaned over so the kids couldn't hear - particularly over the laughter and calls of 'no fair' from Rachel and Nate as the ferals showed them how cheating was done right. "One of your friends will be there with you every step of the way. Starting with me."

Scott let out a breath. "I'm sorry to take you from the school…"

"The school can survive a day or two without me," Ororo said. "I want to be sure the same is true for one of my dearest friends."

"I'm not going anywhere, 'Ro," Scott said softly.

"Good," Ororo said. "Then I get to spend some time catching up with you." She rested her hand on his wrist. "I have _missed you_ , Scott."

"I'm sorry about that too," Scott said. "Maybe I should spend more time in Westchester."

"I'd like that," she said. "We can always find openings for those that want to teach."

"Maybe when the new school year starts up," Scott said. "I'll think about it."

* * *

As promised, Ororo went with Scott the next morning to his session with Craig Hale. Theoretically, since K had run down the man's background, Scott should have been more relaxed, but what actually happened was that he was steadily quieter as they got to Craig's office. Everything K had done told him he could tell Craig the full truth - now the only thing holding him back was the simple fact that he didn't _want_ to talk about it.

But he had promised to get help. And to _try_ to get better. He'd even promised Jean to go back and be there for their kids.

Still, he was dreading it.

If Ororo could tell that he was already ready to back out if not for the promises he'd made, she tactfully didn't say anything except to walk with him and wait in Craig's waiting room as Logan had done. And though Scott wouldn't admit it, having someone there waiting for him also cut off another avenue of avoiding this particular conversation; he couldn't just walk out.

The session started pleasantly enough. Craig asked about Ororo, since she was a new face and he was glad to see that Scott had multiple people in his support system.

At first, Scott gave the same answer he always did, that she was an old friend and ran the private school two of his kids had attended. And then, knowing Craig had follow-up questions to the story he'd already heard bits and pieces of, Scott tried to put it off that much longer by giving Craig the truth about something else: "Storm," he said softly. "Her name was Storm. Back when we were X-Men."

Craig raised an eyebrow but then started to smirk. "I thought I recognized your friend yesterday."

Scott shrugged openly. "Long story."

"Well, I've got time. It's not often a dead man brings a client to my doorstep." When Scott turned his way more fully, Craig kept an even expression. "I'm a therapist in New York City. If you think I haven't helped people through the fallout of Avengers, X-Men, Defenders, and every other battle this city has seen, you haven't been paying attention to the way this city keeps itself standing."

Scott very nearly smirked. "Fair."

"So, why don't you tell me how Wolverine brought you here, and we'll go from there."

"That isn't the long story," Scott pointed out. "He's visiting. He'll be back in his own dimension soon."

Craig leaned back and rubbed his eyes with his index finger and thumb. "Lord help us," he muttered. "That's the short version, huh?"

"More or less."

"So he's not the same Wolverine you lost?"

Scott's smirk fell, and he leaned back slightly. "No," he said, barely resisting the urge that had been more insistent lately to touch his face. He'd done that a lot in the immediate aftermath of everything Graydon Creed had done. Even if the scars were healed, they were still there.

"Then how about I do my job and _listen_ to this story?" Craig suggested. "If I need clarification, I'll ask, but I don't know how to get started unless we start. Then, when we're through, if we have time, you can introduce me to your friend. I'd like to meet your back up."

"She probably wants to meet you anyway."

"I'm going to bet that's going to be a recurring theme," Craig said. "How many people will you be rotating?" He held up both hands. "I'm just assuming there will be more if the first guy isn't going to be available long term."

Scott shrugged lightly. "You'd have to ask them."

"After you tell me your story."

Scott sighed. "Right," he said, though he still didn't know how to start, which meant Craig was waiting patiently for a long time before Scott finally decided to approach the story the way he'd done with James, his gaze on his hands as he told Craig the whole thing at once - no details, just facts. He didn't raise his gaze, and he gave even less of the story to Craig than he had to James, explaining who had died and how as well as why he'd taken James in as well as his kids when he knew James needed quiet and safety.

Of course, Craig had questions. Like the significance of certain players, since he didn't _know_ the backstory on anyone and he wanted Scott to talk about the ones he was tying to avoid. And he wanted to know Scott's story behind the scars - especially when Scott kept touching them when he spoke about Logan - but he wasn't going to ask that just yet. Not when it was clear that even saying the names was enough to set the man back. So he had to try a different approach.

"Why now?" Craig asked after a long moment of silence. "You've been coping for all these years. Not well, I'm sure, but you've been coping. What happened to change that? Was it that your son has been ousted publicly for who he is?"

"No," Scott said, shaking his head gently. "No, it's…" He sighed. "The international news doesn't have the full story out, but Magneto is dead."

"And you know the full story …. How?"

"My son killed him - after Magneto almost killed me." It wasn't an admission for himself; he just didn't want Craig to think James was a cold blooded killer.

"I think I might need to hear that story too."

Scott nodded tightly. "Some of my old teammates were on Genosha; they were able to tell me what Erik was like at home as well as when he was attacking people off the island." He paused. "If the professor was still around, he would have talked him down."

"And I'm going to take a guess here - you tried to do that in his place?"

"I did," Scott said in a sigh. "I was willing to give him every chance … until he threatened James' life."

Craig frowned at that. "I don't understand what …. Or _why_ Magneto would want to threaten your son," he said, then shook his head to refocus as it was apparent that Scott was magnificent at gently shifting the subject. "How did you go from trying to talk him down to your son doing him in?"

Scott let his shoulders drop, rubbing the back of his neck and leaving his hand there. "My son knew I was going to face Magneto. And he knew … he knew what the man was capable of. He asked his teammate, Wiccan, to cast a spell to take him to me if my life was in danger." He gestured with one hand. "I haven't been Cyclops in a long time. I've practiced and kept up my defenses, but I hadn't been in a fight for a long time, and it's different. Especially blind. I haven't done that in a while either."

Craig drew in a deep breath. "Blind?"

Scott paused and then stopped himself from reaching for his old scars. "I have cybernetics in my eyes," he explained tersely. In his mind's eye the sound of James calling for Magneto to stop was exactly the same as a young James demanding his dad or Scott on the other side of a wall in his memory moments before he lost his vision and his powers.

"And Magneto …. Made use of the metal in the circuitry." Craig nodded quietly to himself for a long moment. "I think, Scott, that you are extremely blessed to have the people around you that you do."

"I know," Scott said.

"Did anyone else know about the spell that Wiccan cast?" Craig asked.

"I didn't even know," Scott said.

Craig had his hand tented over his mouth as he thought it over. "Then maybe you can tell me how close your friends are to you? Physically, that is. Clearly, they are like family to be taking turns already to try and help."

"We always said that the X-Men were family," Scott said softly.

"Alright, but is that morning coffee family, Sunday dinner family, or just write at Christmas and Easter with a card on birthdays?"

Scott shook his head and met Craig's gaze. "You have to understand, for most of us, the X-Men were all we had. We were more than family."

"I do understand that," Craig said gently. "I've treated my share of mutants that had been rejected from their families because they were born with a gene that their parents thought was wrong. But that's not what I'm asking, and I promise you, I'm not judging. How close are you to them now?"

"Well, I don't live in Westchester anymore," he admitted, frowning. "We live in a quiet neighborhood in Brooklyn."

Craig shifted how he was seated to square up with Scott better. "Your family and friends clearly care deeply for you and want to help. You have experienced a recent trauma that is triggering old ones - and I know none of that's news to you. But, see, my problem is that if you were _anyone else,_ I'd be strongly advocating for an in-patient program. You should not be alone. At all. Not until you're past this. Now … I'd consider your children as a good source of help, because it's clear that they care for you, but …" here Craig took a moment to reorganize how he needed to present this. "For one thing, I don't feel right asking anyone that young to watch out for their parents unless there is no other option."

Scott's jaw was locked as he nodded wordlessly. He knew Craig was right; the kids were too young. He was just waiting for the other shoe.

Again, Craig paused, watching Scott carefully for his reaction as he continued. "Honestly, just as concerning … your son would clearly do _anything_ for you. And I believe that includes trying to spare your ego and your reputation with the rest of your family." Scott looked up at him, but couldn't argue it when it was so plain that Craig was right. "I asked about the rest of your family because you really should be around people that know this story and understand what you've been through and what you've seen. And you should be around them 24/7 … not forever, but until you can process all this without carrying it so heavily." He tipped his head, knowing he had another ace up his sleeve. "And to be honest, it would probably help the kids through the fallout from _their_ stresses as well for them to see the rest of the family rallying to help you. It may help them see they don't _have_ to carry it all themselves. They can reach out."

"They're already ahead of you," Scott said, almost smirking as he thought of Logan and K at his house. "I've been informed they're on shifts."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. So … who will be staying with you _first_?"

"Ask Storm."

Craig nodded and got to his feet. He quickly crossed the room and left the door open as he went out to quietly ask Ororo to join them. Once they were in his office again and everyone was seated, Craig posed the same question to Ororo after a quick explanation on what he thought needed to be done first. Which was, of course, keeping someone with Scott at all times that wasn't under his care.

"The kids can't be included in the rotation - to start," Craig said. "Even the oldest is too young to handle this now. They can make their own appointments or come to his appointments, if Scott's alright with that, but they can't be considered the responsible adult to keep an eye on _all of them_." He turned to Scott for a moment before Ororo could answer. "And by the way? All three of them should be seeing a therapist as well. I don't know how Genosha will handle things, but I have to imagine your son should be prepared to face murder charges there _at least_. That isn't something to gloss over, even if it was justified as an act to protect you and defend himself."

"I'll speak to them about it. James is already talking to someone," Scott said.

" _Good_ ," Craig said, sitting back and looking a little more relieved. "Now … I'm sorry to interrupt myself there, Ma'am. Do you have a plan in place?"

"We do," Ororo said, frowning toward Scott. "I'm only sorry to hear how necessary it is, but we do have a plan."

"To be honest, that is my policy for anyone who's been through something even half as traumatic - to have someone close at hand," Craig said. "I'm afraid even the older teenagers aren't adult enough to handle things properly all the time."

"I completely agree," Ororo said. She smiled warmly at Scott. "Besides, our family has always come together in defense of each other."

"Wonderful," Craig said. "I'm sure Scott can fill you in on what we've discussed. I like to encourage my patients to talk to their family after sessions if they can. Same time tomorrow Mr. Mueller?"

"That's the plan," Scott said. He got to his feet, and seeing that Craig wasn't going to add anything else, he nodded to himself, letting out the breath he didn't realize he was holding before he slipped out the door.

"Ms Munroe," Craig said. "If I can borrow you for just a moment - there are a few things I like to give patient's families for reading material and some things to consider."

Ororo stopped and then nodded, though her frown had deepened the corners of her mouth. "Of course."

Craig pulled her aside and though he was pulling together a whole stack of pamphlets and flyers, he also made sure to point out a couple of things that he'd seen that looked like red flags as far as showing stress from the traumas - and reliving those traumas each time. Like the way Scott was touching the scars - though he was sure she'd seen that herself. Or the way he would hold his breath - not a full breath like he was weighing out answering a question … more like halfway between breaths as if he was trying to keep from being seen or if he was bracing himself for something horrible. Or how he was staring at his hands. All of those things were clear markers to _Craig_ .. and he was sure someone who knew him well would find more.

Ororo listened silently to everything he said, nodding quietly. "He's been far from home for too long," she said at last.

"Then maybe you can work toward fixing that, too."

"It's time," she agreed. She tipped her head toward his pamphlets. "And these?"

"Maybe you'll find something helpful. Maybe they'll just be something to give you an excuse to have walked away for a few minutes."

Ororo smiled more warmly at that. "Oh yes. Logan was right about you."

"I don't know what he could be right about," Craig said. "He was only here while we had our first session."

"He picked you out," Ororo said.

Craig looked honestly confused. "I'm sorry, he did what now?"

Ororo smiled kindly. "I doubt he'll explain himself, but I have always trusted his judgment when it matters. I don't know if he knows you in his world or if he researched you, but he found a therapist sympathetic to mutants who thinks tactically and has treated trauma cases before. He was right to choose you." When Craig simply looked flabbergasted, Ororo smiled. "I look forward to seeing you again, Mr. Hale. I wish you luck."


	65. Deep Breath

Meanwhile, the Summers kids were _still_ enjoying their extra-dimensional visitors. James was plainly soaking up every moment he could in a way that had Rachel and Nate doing the same, though the two of them were enjoying watching James as much as they were enjoying taking in things with Logan and K.

The Howletts were like no couple they'd seen before for how affectionately close they were at all times, regardless of who was around them. And the attentive way they both took care of each other - and James … and Nate and Rachel and Billy and Kate, too - as if it was effortless was kind of hard to look away from. K was constantly leaning into Logan and he was endlessly wrapped around her - only breaking apart during meals when they were out of coffee, and more often than not, Logan handled it before K could consider it herself.

He'd just sat down with her refill when there was an insistent knock on the door and before he could move, she stole a quick kiss and was on her feet, insisting that she had it covered before the kids could get to it.

K was almost to the door when she heard the complaint from the other side. "You're taking too long, kiddo, come on," Tony said, and that was enough to get her to hesitate. She didn't want to set him off - and she wasn't sure where this universe's K stood with Tony before she died. And she'd seen a few alternate realities already. She knew that her feelings for one person or another really didn't _matter_ in any of those worlds. So, she took an instant to take a breath before she pulled the door open.

"Keep your shirt on," she said as soon as the door was cracked open. Tony had turned toward her - ready to say something snappy, but he froze when he saw her. He had his mouth half opened and one hand at chest level, so when he _stopped,_ K really didn't know which way he was going.

Until of course, Tony let out a disbelieving sort of sound and stepped forward to wrap her up in a tight hug right in the doorway. "Woah, easy. It's okay," she said, though at that, she returned the hug almost as tightly. " _Tony_. What's wrong?"

"I was _not_ expecting to see you," he said quietly, and on hearing his tone, K snuggled in and even turned to kiss his cheek.

"Were you utterly lost without me? Couldn't stand to go on?" K had to tease just because she'd had to hear it not too long ago herself when she was triaging _her_ reality's Tony after a near Death experience.

" _Yes._ "

K squeezed him a little tighter for a moment. "Yeah, love you too." She gave him a few more moments to pull it together before she drew back slightly with a smirk. "Don't suppose you'd want a cup of coffee with me, would you?"

When Tony stepped back, K took his arm and let him lead the way, at least as far as where Logan was waiting for her with a smirk. "You know she's comin' back with me, right?" Logan pointed out.

"Yeah. That just … You two disappeared too fast on us."

"Wasn't us," Logan pointed out. "Not really."

"Yeah, I know how interdimensional travel works, thanks," Tony said as he finally stopped _staring_ and got himself a cup of coffee. He barely got a sip before he was shaking his head with an appreciative smile. "Yep. Really is better when you make it."

"James is learning," K promised. "He can't go back to whatever you people had told him was good coffee."

"I really can't," James agreed, though he was frowning slightly at Tony. It was just perfectly fitting that he couldn't hold back his questions _to Tony_ , even if he still hadn't gotten a good handle on asking anything of Logan and K. "Why are you … _what_ is the story with you two?"

"He likes to torture himself with unattainable things," K said without missing a beat, with Logan nodding along next to her.

"Same in every reality I've seen," Logan agreed, then looked up at Tony. "Why are you _here_ , Stark?" He was clearly irritated, but he _had_ been doing his best to be tolerant when he had been enjoying the morning up until then.

"You really can't share for even two seconds, can you?" Tony said, shaking his head as he set his mug down. "I'm here for a couple things. Number one …" he turned toward James. " _You_ were supposed to _tell me_ if you got any other interdimensional visitors."

James gestured between Tony and K. "I didn't realize you had a thing for my _mom_? So I'm not sorry for not telling you about her being here. But also ...now that I know that, I can't un-know it and it's messing with me."

"No excuse. Gotta toughen up, kiddo," Tony said. "And … as lovely as it is to see K again." He paused and tipped his head to give her a once over like he always did before. "Looking _exactly_ as I remember…"

"Thank you," K said primly, which got a wide grin out of Tony and an understated grumble from Logan.

" … we need to talk about a few things. Like how I need to know what happened in Genosha. All of it."

James hedged. He didn't _want_ to discuss it, and he didn't want to relive anything that he could avoid, either. But K gave him a little smile that totally disarmed him and in short order, James was telling as much of the story as he could remember - not only from his recollection, but from what he'd been told, too.

Tony didn't interrupt him through the whole story, and instead simply listened to the end before he asked a few questions to clarify the finer points. When he'd heard all he needed to, he nodded to himself, set his mug back down then leaned over to kiss K's cheek. "Maybe I'll see you later. Before you go back."

"If not, try not to forget me, huh?" K replied before she shifted to give Tony another long hug. Logan tactfully ignored the display as K took a moment to whisper her thanks for all Tony had done for James, which just had Tony holding on a little tighter until he had control of himself.

"Alright," Tony said finally, stepping back from K and trying hard not to look directly at any of them, though that in itself was a dead giveaway for how emotional he was. "Tell Scott I'll catch up to him later. We have things we need to discuss … you know … when you're not … meeting your parents."

"Thanks, Stark," Logan said in a warm, genuine tone, though that seemed to do more to crack Tony's control than K did and a moment later, Tony was rushing back out to leave James with his parents for whatever time they had left together.

"Damn," Logan said low, drawing the attention of all the kids there. "Guy's damn near got me feelin' sorry for him the way this is goin'."

"He married Jan," James offered. "He's fine."

Logan smirked at that and nodded at how quickly James had gotten on board to pick on Tony. "Sure is."

For a long while, Logan and K answered the kids questions while they waited for Scott and Ororo to return from seeing Dr. Hale, and when the kids didn't have any more questions, they started asking for stories, though those were hard to navigate when they didn't know what was similar and what wasn't between the two worlds.

When Scott _did_ finally return, he was actually in reasonably high spirits, all things considered since Ororo had done a magnificent job of lifting his spirits on the way back. He took a look at the group as they were gathered up, and just as he was finding himself wishing there was a way for James to get … _just a little bit more_ _time_ … Logan spoke up.

"You got a minute, Scotty?" he asked, and Scott nodded without even considering it.

"Of course. What's on your mind?"

Logan redirected Scott and the two of them headed toward his home office, then closed the door behind them. "How're you feelin'?" Logan asked.

"I'm going to daily therapy half against my will and I'm never without my oldest friends lately. I'd say about as good as I've been in years."

"Great," Logan said, then looked over his shoulder as if someone would sneak up on them through the closed door. "I think I need a little longer to make sure James is alright."

"What's going on?"

"He's not processing it yet. Any of it," Logan said, shaking his head. "When it hits, I wanna make sure he'll be alright. It's not … I know he feels guilty. This is more than that."

"What are you suggesting?" Scott asked with a frown - since worrying about someone else was always going to be a thousand times easier than facing his own issues.

Logan blew out a breath and put his hands on his hips. "I'd like to get him out of the city for a few days anyhow. K wants to make sure he knows where a few of our old cabins are so he has a place to _go_ when it gets overwhelming."

"Which is more often than he'll admit to."

"He's young," Logan replied. "He'll grow out of that."

"So … you want to take him camping?" Scott asked with an odd mixture of confusion and amusement warring for supremacy on his features.

"Well if you wanna boil it down to bare bones, yeah. Pretty much. Fresh air will make it easier to shake off the guilt."

"As long as he's up for it and you take all the precautions -"

"I've got precautions you've never seen, Slim."

"Yeah. Too bad you don't know if they'll work on anyone in _this_ reality."

"We'll make sure it does," Logan promised. "Just a few days - let him see how _we_ reset and see if it helps him, too."

"Then - if he agrees, I think that might just be good for him."

* * *

James was both nervous about heading off into the wilderness with his parents and excited for it. He had no idea what this trip was going to be, and even though he knew all about camping and basic survival skills from his dad, he just _knew_ this was going to be something else entirely. He just didn't know how different it was going to be.

The older Billy took them to Logan's favorite cabin to make sure no one could follow them. The cabin had fallen into disrepair over the years left idle and empty. It was a scenic spot the likes of which James had only seen in photographs, and much like the first time K had seen that spot - with the Canadian Rockies looming nearby beyond a massive crystal clear lake - James froze and just stared for a moment as Logan and K started getting their plan in place. They didn't push him to react or to respond to _anything_. Not when they knew he needed to process.

After all, there was camping … and then there was _camping_ like Logan and K preferred to do.

Both Logan and K watched James out of the corner of their gazes as he silently processed where he was. They both felt badly that he had clearly missed out on this - and all that he could have learned if their equivalent in this universe hadn't died and left him without their guiding touch.

What they didn't know was that James was experiencing a _severe_ flashback. They couldn't possibly know that he'd dreamed of those mountains since he was little, or that he couldn't explain to Scott for _his whole life_ what it was that he was dreaming about.

Even when Rachel could easily se his thoughts and dreams, she couldn't place where those mountains were, and between the two of them, they'd thought he'd simply dreamed the place up - or imagined it. But … that wasn't the case.

When James finally turned away from staring at the mountain range and the glassy lake, he pushed down his emotions and headed over to where Logan and K were working together to patch up the aging damage to the cabin.

"This alright with you?" Logan asked, half distracted as he fought with an inner door that didn't want to close properly.

"Yeah. It's … kind of perfect," James said, then blinked twice before he came over to give Logan a hand. He was quiet as they worked, watching Logan with a little more thought now. They worked together, with Logan coaching him on how to fix the little problems that the cabin had going on while K took a quick zip out into the woods to find something to feed them with, which left James and Logan plenty of opportunity to talk about what both of them had on their minds.

But as was the case with most Howletts, in most universes, both of them seemed mostly unable to break the ice, at first. Once they were in a comfortable groove of working together, though, James decided he needed to say _something_.

"I remember this place," he said quietly, though it was plenty for Logan to catch.

"Yeah? What do you remember about it?" Logan asked, though he kept working and did his best to look nonchalant about how incredibly significant he knew it was if James was bringing it up.

"Just … the mountains. The lake," James answered, then drew in a shaky breath. "I think I remember roasting something over a fire with you?"

Logan smirked quietly to himself and nodded. "Sounds right to me," he said, then paused as he considered everything. He knew the kid was _finally_ reaching out, and that he needed _something_ from Logan. It was just harder when Logan knew it wasn't really _him_ that had been the cause of so much upset for the young man. Still …

"It won't mean as much, I'm sure," Logan said after a while, when the two of them had finally secured the cabin and James had just gotten to his feet. "Not comin' from me, since it wasn't _really_ me that left you." James turned his way with a perfectly open look that Logan simply wasn't used to seeing on _any_ of his kids. "The me that was here ... "

"It's alright," James said. "I get it now. I didn't before, but now that I've seen you two together … losing her-"

"It wouldn't have just been about losing her," Logan said. "I've lost women I loved before." Logan leaned against the side of the cabin and broke away from James' gaze. " _My_ James …" It was obvious that Logan was having trouble discussing it, but he _also_ needed this James to understand things. "He tried to kill himself about a year ago when his healing was shot."

James straightened up as his heart fell, but he didn't get a chance to come up with anything to say before Logan continued.

"We had someone nearby that healed him up enough to keep what he did from stickin', but if he hadn't been there …" Logan looked up at James, and it was plain to see how emotional he was thinking about almost losing _his_ James. "If he'd have managed it, I'd have ended up followin' him."

James stared at him for a long moment. "What about _Mom_?"

He shook his head. "I was too caught up with my head up my ass to think about what it could do to her, or the other kids," Logan admitted thickly. "It would have been a mess, though, I'm not stupid enough to not admit it now."

After a long moment of silence, James had to speak up again. "I guess I don't … I mean, I understand it, but you have other kids. And you have _her_."

"And about a hundred years or so of murder and dirt on my hands," Logan said. "I was convinced that I'd screwed him up by bein' there."

"No." James' tone left no room for argument, and it was, in many ways, the same kind of flat, end of discussion tone that Scott often used when he'd just had _enough_.

"I'm just telling you what I _was_ thinkin'." Logan waited until James turned his angry, hurt expression back to him. "It's not what I think now. The me that took the easy route here - he was wrong. _I_ was wrong, and though it doesn't mean as much, I am sorry for that."

"I don't know what to do with that," James admitted after a few moments, emotional again at how wild this ride was from just a simple discussion.

"Be better than I was," Logan said. "You already are, but just … be better."

Their quiet moment hung in the air for a long while, though it was broken when both of them had to turn their attention toward whistling that was echoing from deep in the trees. As soon as James identified what it was in his mind's eye, the whistling shifted to soft singing in Swedish, and again, he just stared into the trees until he saw K walking out of the woods with three partridge in one hand, singing some old tune to herself as she came up to the little clearing.

"C'mon," Logan said, breaking the spell gently. "She killed 'em, we get to finish the job."

"Is that …"

"Just how we work," Logan said. "I'll take you hunting tomorrow."

"I'd like that," James replied, even as he and Logan started toward K.

* * *

The three ferals were in the woods for nearly a week while Billy and Tommy spent some much-needed time at home with their family in Genosha and Rachel and Nate got their fill of fussing over their Dad. But, once it was clear that they'd had some good time as a family to mourn together, and move _on together_ \- because though Erik _did_ love them, he had terrorized them all in small ways that none of them quite realized until he was _gone_ and no longer able to manipulate - Billy's mind was wandering more and more as he wondered what was going on with the Summers family. It was early morning in Genosha … but in New York it was still the night before.

James hadn't been answering his texts, which was worrisome, but not _too_ worrisome when he knew from Kate that James had been with his other-dimensional parents doing _something_. Surely, though, he had to be back home by now.

Tommy had gone back to Westchester just a little while before to get a date with Mia, and Billy hung around just a little bit longer since he was feeling a little guilty himself for not having handled everything differently, even in spite of what his older-other dimensional self had told him. Some things were unavoidable.

But once he'd had time to assuage his conscience, Billy found himself in a rush to get to Brooklyn - back to James so he could get a feel for if he was making the right call to _try_ and stay with his sweetheart. The anticipation was enough to make him think he was going the right way, but … he was still second guessing himself while he was in Genosha.

He appeared in a flash of light in the Summers' family living room, but the only people around were Kate and Nate - apparently he'd shown up shortly after Scott had left with Kitty to go to dinner, just to shake up the monotony of only leaving the house for therapy. Nate swore at the intrusion, one hand up over his eyes as he tried to recover from their makeout session being interrupted so _thoroughly_.

"Sorry, not sorry!" Billy called out before he made the dash for the stairs. He only made it up a few of them though before Nate shouted from the living room couch.

"He's not here," Nate said before he sat back and recomposed himself.

"Then … I'll just go to his room and wait for him to come back and leave you two alone," Billy replied, laughing still at the curses Nate had let fly. "At least for another twenty minutes."

"No," Nate said in a groan, even as Kate fell apart giggling. "He's not _here_ , as in he's not in the city right now. I'm not even sure where he is, if you want the truth. He left with Logan and K to go … I dunno. Howl at the moon or whatever it is that they like to do in the woods."

"Still? Well … okay. I can just … go to wherever that is," Billy said slowly. He frowned to himself, then finished heading up to James' room just to grab a few things that he could _borrow_ , considering that he wasn't entirely sure what to wear, or what they needed … but he was very sure that a flannel shirt and a fresh t-shirt would be in order _anyhow_. If it was anything more than that, he'd just have to wish it into being.

He took a moment to focus, then closed his eyes as he tried for as specific a spell as he could muster to go to wherever James was - and hoping he wasn't in _trouble_.

When Billy reappeared, it was in the center of an old log cabin, and he was entirely alone. For a moment, he didn't move since he'd heard stories about how some of these old cabins had been booby trapped. Maybe he didn't think this through properly.

He heard a splash outside that didn't sound like it was from too far away, and before he really thought it through, Billy headed for the front door and stepped outside to see that James and Logan were knee deep in the water, pulling in fish at about the same time that he realized the scope of where they were. "Oh, okay. Wow," Billy half whispered - but that was enough for the ferals to hear all the same. He'd never seen anything like these mountains covered in lupines, or the sparkling water and snow capped mountains at this time of year.

James and Logan shared a look before James broke into a bright grin and headed for the cabin at a jog while Logan handled their fishing gear. "Hey, stranger," James said, looking relaxed and at home in the trees, though some of that faded off as he considered everything. "You found me. Wasn't sure that you'd want to, though."

"It's almost like you forgot who you're talking to," Billy said before he pulled James over for a kiss that started easy and stretched out into a more appropriately Howlett-influenced 'hello'.

"Hi," James said quietly. "I'm glad you're here."

"Much better," Billy replied with a growing smile. "This is your …"

"Logan's," James replied. "They gave me a list of cabins and villas and hideouts the two of them had all over the world for me to use when the city gets to be too much." He smiled brightly.

"Is that why you haven't been texting?"

James' smile slipped. "No signal. Sorry. I thought Kate would fill you in."

"Kate is a little bit wrapped up with Nate right now - and I didn't think you'd _still_ be out in the wilderness."

"Well … as it turns out, my birth-dad has a thing for places with a view, too."

"I noticed," Billy said, grinning widely again.

James paused, then turned toward Logan, who was still at the shoreline of the crystal clear lake. "So … we weren't exactly ready to come back just yet … are you going to stick around with us?"

" _Can_ I?"

"I would hate to take you from this view so soon."

"And I'd hate to interrupt if whatever is going on is getting you so _relaxed_."

"I really don't think it would be interrupting anything," James said. "We've just been hunting and fishing … cutting wood … and they've been telling me stories about themselves."

"Anything interesting?"

"Mostly family background, more or less," James said quietly as he led Billy toward the birch trees behind the cabin. "This is a whole lot different than what you're used to. If you don't want to stay, I get it."

"Are you kidding? It's beautiful here _and_ I get to see you relax and maybe get to see if your timberwolf story is true? If I'm allowed, I am totally staying with you." Billy thought about it for a moment. "Unless you don't think Logan and K would be okay with it-"

"No, they're fine," James said, cutting across him. "Mom said you're her favorite stargazer, and Logan hasn't tensed up when talking about anything close to you and I the whole time. I think they'd be fine with you staying here."

"The cabin is small-"

"Yeah, guess we'll just have to bunk up." James kept a straight face for all of a few moments before he broke into a troublemaking smile.

Billy couldn't help but grin right back at him. Sure, he still had a moment of doubt, a moment when he heard his grandfather in his head insisting that he should run far away from a traitor to Genosha… but it was easier to ignore this time, now that his older self had identified the difference between his thoughts and his grandfather's teachings.

And now? Now, he was in the middle of nowhere with no expectations other than to _relax_ with a gorgeous guy.

He hadn't realized how badly he'd needed to get away from it all until just then.

So yeah. He definitely wanted to stay.

* * *

Now that the full weight of the former X-Men and even a few Avengers in the know had come to bear in the rotation of helping Scott, and Logan and K had returned from their impromptu camping trip with Billy and James, there wasn't much of a reason for Logan and K to stick around outside of wanting to spend a little more time with the Summers family. And they did want to spend more time. Especially since Billy was completely enamored of Logan and K and wanted to know every bit of advice he could get for helping James with his powers.

They all knew it, but they still weren't quite ready to say goodbye without a whole new round of hugs over K's well-made coffee that last morning, a few days spent making sure the rotation would work, and one final night spent just being with the kids and Scott.

It was an early morning for everyone, since Scott still had his standing appointment, but they wanted to have enough time for a goodbye. And because Bobby was taking his turn that morning, that meant he arrived early too - and he made sure to wrap Logan in one final farewell hug.

"You feelin' alright, popsicle?" Logan asked, frowning to himself at Bobby's reaction, though he didn't try to stop him, and even had somewhat reciprocated.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Bobby said. "Just didn't get long enough when you were getting mobbed at the school." He stepped back and let out a breath. "Don't know what you know of the story, but you saved my life. So.. thanks."

"Don't know it, don't wanna know it," Logan said. "Not the fine details anyhow. Besides - I thought you knew I'd do whatever needed to be done."

"Yeah, but it still … I could just as easily have not walked out of there. So just take the thank you, okay? Didn't get to say it before."

"Alright, alright," Logan said with a wave. "You got time for coffee before you two head out?"

"For K's coffee? Yeah. I woke up early for that," Bobby said, grinning as he slipped over to rest his arm around K's shoulders and kissed her cheek. "Hi. Thanks."

"You're welcome," K said, leaning over to kiss him right back.

"So you're headed back soon, right?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah, you guys will be better long term if you don't have us for a crutch. Even if you still don't know how to make coffee," she told him.

Bobby grinned. "Hey, I still burn water."

"I will never understand that."

"It's a gift," Bobby said as he sat down next to Scott.

"It's something alright," Scott said under his breath.

"Can you have coffee before you go?" K asked, already pushing a cup his way.

"Yeah, it's not like it's a _medical_ appointment," Scott said dryly.

"Some of them are more strict than others," she said with a shrug.

Scott chuckled and shook his head as he saluted her with his coffee. "I think being followed around to the point that my kids are sharing my room is strict enough."

"They adore you. Enjoy it."

"Never said they didn't."

"Oh, he must be feeling a _little_ better," she said to Logan. "He's doing that thing. You know the one." The two of them shared a look and Logan nodded silently.

"He does a lot of things," Bobby said.

"He does," Logan agreed, refusing to elaborate, if nothing else to _not_ rile Scott.

"Well," Rachel said slowly, looking toward the older Billy, who was sitting on the counter watching some other reality with spinning galaxies in his gaze, "I guess… I guess we have to see you off, then."

"Yeah," Logan said as he sat down next to James. "Had to happen."

"It was nice to meet you," Nate said. "Put a face to all the stories."

"It was a nice break," Logan agreed.

"Sounds like we all needed it," Rachel said. "I'm glad we could help you too."

"You're all wonderful," K said as she gave the younger Billy a kiss on the cheek.

"And you're just like Dad said you were," Rachel told them with a smile.

"Sorry about that," Scott said dryly.

"Truth is the truth," Logan said, totally unconcerned.

"Some things never change," Bobby said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, never," the older Billy agreed as he jumped down from the counter and came to stand by Logan and K. "Okay, we should head back."

"Yeah, just need one more hug and a kiss," K said, slipping off to wrap up James. They'd been over everything a dozen times, and both Logan and K had been sure to do all they could to try and reassure him that the attack on Erik was needed, considering how out of control he was. And of course, when they hadn't been watching over Scott, they'd been with James and Billy.

Just about the time they were about to let up on the hug, though, Rachel and Nate both came rushing over too, and Nate yanked Logan's arm so that all three kids had the two of them in a hug.

 _Thanks for helping Dad,_ Rachel projected to both of them.

 _We can't turn our backs on him,_ Logan answered.

 _Yeah, we love him too,_ she replied as the kids finally let up on the hug.

James took one more moment to give Logan a hug alone before he stepped back - though Logan didn't quite know how big of a deal that was for him.

"Love you too, Scott," K sang out. "In case you forget, you have witnesses now."

Scott shook his head at that. "I think if you ask my kids, they'll tell you the feeling's mutual. Obviously."

"I'd rather hear it from you, but I'll take it," K said.

He let out a sigh and shook his head before he got to his feet and pulled her into a tight hug that took her off her feet. "Love you too," he said as he set her down.

She didn't let him get back a step before she popped up to kiss his cheek. "I know."

"You just like to hear it," he teased.

"Everyone does," K said. "All the time. Even if they act like it doesn't matter."

Scott smirked. "Then I hope Logan makes sure you hear it," he said, looking over her shoulder at Logan. "Often."

"He's pretty relentless about that, actually," K said with a shameless grin. "He even learned Swedish for me."

"Good," Scott said, then paused and stepped over to hug Logan too, even if it wasn't an off the feet affair. "I'm glad you've got your family, Logan," he said low.

"Yours ain't too damn shabby either, Slim," Logan said. "You've done great with 'em."

"They've got a lot of their parents in them," Scott said, looking over his shoulder with a fond smile at the kids.

When the hug was over, Logan stepped back to K and Billy. "Don't make us come back here for anything bad."

"Don't worry," Scott promised. "Good luck."

"You too," Logan replied, and with that, they disappeared in a flash of light.


	66. New Business

It had been a few weeks, and Scott's session that morning had been a good one. He was a little anxious, as always, after having talked about himself so much; he was looking forward to just being with his kids for a little while. Seeing Logan and K - even for a short time - had been therapeutic in its own right, but being back with his kids was far more centering.

And he'd mostly forgotten that he was supposed to be with someone _adult_ at all times too. Until he came home to find that the kids were with Tony Stark.

There was no way this was entirely for his mental health.

"So … what's the story?" Scott asked as he and Bobby came into the living room.

"Why don't you have a seat," Tony suggested, though the look of apprehension on James' face was all the tip off Scott needed to know that things were _off_.

"You look way too serious," Bobby said as he and Scott both found a place to sit down.

"Yeah, well … serious business. And it's not something I can do without talking to Scott _first_ ," Tony replied, then waited for Scott to urge him to spill. "I have a proposal."

"Dude, I hate to break it to you, but you are _so_ not his type," Bobby said before Scott could react.

"No kidding," Tony replied, scrunching his nose up as he half glared at Bobby. "This is about the kid."

"You're not his type either," Bobby said. " _Way_ too old."

'Oh my God, Icicle," James said, shaking his head. "Not helping. _At all_."

"Says you," Bobby said, tipping his nose up with a grin. "I've been slowly dying, and now I can tease. Life is good."

" _Anyway_ ," Tony said, turning toward Scott. "I've got a plan to protect the kids, but I need you to sign off on it."

"Why?" Scott asked, returning the frown. "If it's to protect the kids, why would you _need_ me to sign off?"

"Because," Tony said, resting his hand on James' shoulder. "It involves making my intentions for the company known _well_ ahead of schedule in a very public way."

"I thought you said he had to be twenty-one?" Scott shot back after a moment, looking more stressed by the second. "Eighteen at _least_."

"To actually give him a title and a spot on the board, yes. But I'm not talking about that." Tony held up one hand, the other still resting on James's shoulder possessively. "Hear me out before you panic. We have to face a few facts. Even if Wanda isn't allowing any kind of prosecution against anyone that was there with Magneto when he died suddenly, Magneto's old Acolytes and Brotherhood members are still out for blood. Natasha's tracking them, of course, and if they push too hard, I know she'll be taking out a few frustrations on them. Now ... I _know_ that there are _a lot_ of people that don't want to cross me for one reason or another. Public opinion tends to fall in my favor, and … I want to make it clear that the kid is off limits for _everyone_."

Scott didn't look entirely convinced. "Public opinion means nothing when it comes to weapons programs."

"True. But I'm prepared to pull contracts on anyone that even _attempts_ to cross that line. Including the United States military."

Scott stared at Tony, but James was the one to speak for both of them. "You would literally sink your company if you did that," James said, not sounding at all like he liked any part of this plan.

"Look at you, already worrying about making sure the company is in good shape," Tony said with a smirk as he jostled James with his arm around him still. "No, that's not what's going to happen at all. See ... I'm going to make them _prioritize_. Do they want you badly enough to risk losing access to the top weapons on the planet? Do they want to be second place in the arms race? Is it a reasonable trade off? Anyone with a brain will say 'no' and leave you alone. Honestly, if they have any brains, they'll leave all of you alone. Knowing you're not only being covered by the Avengers but you're under _my_ protection officially, publicly, etcetera - they wouldn't be able to get away with it. And though I know you don't put much weight in it, public opinion is _very much against_ using _anyone_ as a slave of any sort. As much as it pains me to say it, that's exactly how they treated your folks and others." His tone shifted. "If we can show the world how _good_ this kid is … _all of the kids_ … we can give them the full _public_ backing they deserve… no one will think it's acceptable to touch them."

"That's quite the leap," Bobby said, looking serious.

"That would blow the reasoning behind the masks, too," James said. "For everyone. And that will wreck things for _you_ whether you know it or not. Especially when everyone figures out who we all _are_."

"Kid, _everyone_ knows who you are. Especially after your multiple unmaskings - though they had an idea of who you were before that," Tony pointed out dryly. "What they don't know is that you're _mine_."

"Creepy possessive is _not_ attractive," James said in a flat tone.

"And you know what I mean," Tony replied looking entirely unamused.

"Do it," Scott said suddenly, surprising James into turning his way fully.

"Wait, what?"

"He's not wrong," Scott said, then had to keep from smiling when Rachel projected to her father ' _but is he right_?' "Keeping you on lockdown at this point isn't really much of an option anymore, and honestly, anything that helps keep you three safe, I'm up for."

"And … it _should_ shift the narrative on how mutants are viewed, too," Tony put in. "It's been commonplace for people hiring across the country to discriminate … maybe it'll help set an example."

James turned toward Tony with a dry expression. "Is this you admitting that I'm your affirmative action hire?"

"Shut up," Tony said, scrunching his nose. "You know that's not the … no." He shook his head hard and held up one hand. "You're missing the point, kid."

"Don't think I am," James said, though he was still trying to process the idea that his dad was on board to let him go public with _all of it._

"It'll be for everyone's benefit."

"It'll be exposing me," James said.

"Yes, but you'll be exposed with full protection. There is a difference between what I'm saying and what you're _halfway into anyhow_." Tony paused. "Besides … public outlook on _both_ of your teams is incredibly high. This will only reinforce it. Especially since we'll be controlling the narrative." He looked toward Scott. "That's something your dad here never was allowed to do. Until now. Nothing will go to press without you looking it over, Scott. We _are_ talking about a minor, after all."

"Pull it together. If that's the angle you want to use, you'll have to move on it before the Brotherhood or anyone else puts out something nasty enough for the public to believe," Scott said.

"I'll let Pepper and Jan know we're going forward, then," Tony said with a nod before he turned to James and smirked crookedly. "Here we go."

"Right," James replied quietly as Tony jostled him one last time.

"I'll let you know what the next steps are," Tony said to Scott, then got up to leave them to discuss things as a family.

The front door closed echoing through the house and James looked a little self conscious as he shrunk in on himself where he was still seated on the couch. Not that he got any time to process what had happened with his siblings there to dive in.

"We're going to need to hire bodyguards for you," Nate teased. "Wonder if I qualify."

"Sure don't," James shot back without thinking about it.

"Yeah, I'll bet Tony's got that covered anyhow," Rachel said, though she was smiling at her little brothers all the same.

Scott let them go back and forth for a moment before he turned to Bobby. "Why don't you order out for everyone while I talk to them, huh?"

"Sure thing. Bobby's choice," Bobby replied as he sprang to his feet and headed for the kitchen to dig through delivery menus, glad to have the excuse to _not_ be caught up in the Summers family drama. He loved everyone there like family, but he did _not_ envy how much Scott had been dealing with on the mainland.

"As entertaining as all of that is, we have other things we need to discuss," Scott said to his kids, and instantly, all three stopped teasing, sat down, and turned his way, giving him their full attention - just like they always had.

"Something wrong, Dad?" Nate asked as all three of them watched, half holding their breath.

"No, not _wrong_ … I need to talk to you all about this … arrangement."

"Oh, are you going to tell James he can't have sleepovers with his sweetheart now?" Nate teased, though that only had James rolling his eyes and shoving his brother sideways.

"No one's going to get _pregnant_ if we're just having popcorn on the couch, _Nate_ ," James shot back.

"Says you. _Magic._ "

"That is not how it works," James said dryly, though Scott was shaking his head at how easily they were getting off track.

"Are you sure?" Nate shot back with a grin.

"Guys," Scott said. "Actual conversation going on. Focus."

"Sorry," Nate said, losing some of his smile.

Scott took a deep breath to reorganize his thoughts. "It's not exactly fair to have everyone come here all the time for their rotation with me," he said. "And … it's probably already drawing attention from more than just our neighbors."

The kids shared a look, though none of them looked surprised at all, and it was clear they were just waiting for Scott's word to grab their things and move on - as they had done so many times before.

"We're not selling the house," Scott clarified, reading their expressions. "This will only be temporary. With a little luck, maybe just a few months."

"Wait … this isn't just a pack up and run thing?" Nate asked. "Then … what about football?"

"And Kate," Rachel said with a fond smile, not teasing him too hard because she _knew_ there was no way their father would consider any kind of move at this point if it meant that his kids had to suffer for it.

"James will still be going in to work - obviously - and I've still got appointments to make," Scott said. "There's no reason the two of you can't coordinate schedules so you can keep going to practices on the days it doesn't line up for me."

James and Nate shared a look, then nodded without any further conversation. "And you want to come back?" Nate asked.

"Believe it or not, I enjoy our space," Scott admitted. "The four of us … or six, if I count Kate and Billy... I don't want to lose that part of our lives. Not permanently, anyhow."

"So what are you saying we're going to do?" Rachel asked. "New house? Move into the tower?" She purposely avoided saying anything about the school, since she knew that was really where he was thinking of going and didn't want to throw him off the idea.

"Not the tower," Scott said. "I thought it might be good for everyone if we went to the school. It would give you three a chance to learn some solid tricks from the old team, since you've already got down just about everything the Avengers can teach you."

"So … I have to move _away_ from my girlfriend for the summer … and James gets to move closer to his boyfriend," Nate said with a frown. "Why can't I just move into the apartment?"

"Because magic is a much less likely way for me to become a grandfather," Scott said dryly. "You two can share a room - like you used to. You can keep each other in check." When both of the boys looked less than amused, Scott couldn't help but smile. "School can't manage private rooms unless you're teaching, too. Short on space."

"Can … I … teach _football_?" Nate asked slowly with a growing grin.

"You know … it might not hurt to have a flag game or two with the kids there," Scott said, though that had Nate grinning.

"Silver lining," Nate replied.

"When do we leave?" James asked, cutting across Nate's joking.

"As soon as you guys are ready. But probably not until after Tony does his announcement and school for Nate ends for the year," Scott said before he turned to James. "It won't be a bad thing to get you out of the city when that news hits."

"Any reason we aren't doing it sooner?"

"I would prefer that it wasn't an exodus," Scott said. "Especially since I want to keep the door open for coming back. It's just for the summer. Really."

"We'll start packing, then," Nate said, and his siblings nodded in solidarity, leaving Scott breathing a little easier at how quickly they'd agreed to going with the _simple_ plan.

* * *

Tony had lied. It hadn't taken him more than a few days to make the arrangements for the press conference, and what was more, James knew for a fact that no one at Stark Industries or the Avengers had breathed a word about it until _that morning_ \- but still, he couldn't avoid the fact that every major news agency was running complete coverage even well before the conference was set to start.

It was no surprise, then, that James was a ball of nerves. A well-controlled ball of nerves, but definitely anxious all the same the closer they got to Tony's press conference. The buzz was in the air, and the gaggle of reporters from around the globe were pulled in and ready to soak up whatever it was that Tony was announcing - and so far, by some miracle, it had stayed under wraps.

There had been speculation, of course, but nothing from a reputable source, and the consensus among those in the press was that this was an Avengers announcement … which was partially true. But it didn't exactly cover all of it. It didn't help much that James could hear them through the doors much easier than everyone else in the staging area. He was focused on the buzz as Jan checked him over one more time - even taking on a vain attempt to tame his cowlicks. Even if they weren't as pronounced as his father's were … it was hard to mistake him for anyone else's kid.

Except of course, the fact that Jan had him in a dark blue suit with a yellow silk tie. He found himself looking down at the yellow and half holding his breath. It was one of those things that he'd tried to avoid to make sure that no one was reminded too often of Logan, since it had been so hard on them.

"You look _amazing_ ," Jan promised. "The yellow is great on you."

"Thanks," James said softly as she popped up on her toes, kissed his cheek, then reached up to wipe off the non-existent lipstick mark.

"Seriously. So proud."

James took a hold of her wrist and pulled her over to wrap her up in a tight hug that Jan melted into. "And you're sure he's not like … going senile early or something?"

"You know, if I thought he was acting crazy, or wrong about this, then I'd be forced to look into it, but …" Jan shrugged easily. "I think he's right. So. Keep calm. Stay on script as much as you can. Stick to the facts and follow his lead, okay?"

"So … like always."

"Exactly." Jan tapped the end of his nose. "You got this."

Tony came over as Jan bopped off, going to peek out at the crowd. "I'm going to take a few minutes before you come out. Try not to look like the world is ending, alright?"

"If only they made anti-anxiety meds strong enough to do anything for me," James said, and Tony smirked crookedly.

"Just think of them like a few of those one-star generals that follow the four-stars around. You outrank them."

"I … don't think that's how it works," James pointed out.

Tony chuckled and headed for the doors, leaving James a few minutes with his family and Billy, all of whom looked absurdly proud while Pepper handled being the warmup for Tony, talking up the progress that the company had been making finding the very _best_ possible people to continue the level of excellence that Stark Industries had been enjoying with Tony at the helm.

 _This is not helping,_ James thought to himself.

 _No, but most of that's on you,_ Rachel projected to him. He'd been sure to keep his mind open for her, convinced that something bad was going to happen. Of course, that only meant that Rachel and Nate could hear every one of his fatalist-leaning thoughts. _You know Tony's got you covered. You know Dad is on board, and you know we're all watching out for you. Tony's right - you're perfect for the job, whenever he gets done teaching you and steps back. At least as far as the brains and the ingenuity._

 _This is a trial by fire,_ James replied.

 _Leave those to Rachel,_ Nate teased. _All you have to do is go out there and look good. And you know … even if you're no Summers by_ blood … _you're probably not entirely repulsive._

 _Lies,_ James shot back.

 _If you could hear what your sweetheart was thinking, you wouldn't think that_ , Rachel told him as Nate nodded along with her.

 _He's biased. No idea why,_ James grumbled goodnaturedly. The pattern was still holding true … if Billy was around, James was more likely to relax. He turned toward Billy, who looked somewhere between perfectly pleased and a little inconvenienced. Which was exactly the kind of thing that could draw James' attention before he had to go make a spectacle of himself. He reached over to take Billy's hand. "Okay. What's wrong? I'm pretty sure if I switched to a red tie now, I'll be accused of trying to lean Steve's way with the whole … red, white, and blue spiel."

"No, don't change the tie," Billy said, smiling a little more now that he was getting a moment. "Jan's right. It looks good on you."

"Okay, then … what?"

"It's nothing, really," Billy said, though his smile went crooked as he reached up to adjust James' lapels. "I was not consulted on Tony _marking his territory_ , and I feel like there might be a dispute."

"Oh, there's no dispute," James replied, looking serious. Billy held his gaze for a moment, then had to smile when James leaned forward to steal a chaste kiss. "He knows he'd lose that fight."

It was clear Billy had something to say on the tip of his tongue, but Scott cleared his throat, and instead, Billy grinned. "I'll be the dark-haired prince waiting for you backstage - in case you get lost out there."

"Not likely to happen," James said, though it was clear he was still tense as Scott came over and rested his hand on James' shoulder.

"You okay?" Scott asked - and the tension was easy enough for James to see and smell, rolling off of his father in waves. "I know Tony went through a lot to get here, but you can still tell him 'no' if you want."

"Do you want me to?"

"I want you to be safe," Scott said. "And the closer we get to this -"

"The more you don't know if it's the good move Tony thinks it is or if it's a giant misstep," James finished. "Yeah. Believe me, I know." He looked at his hands and compulsively rubbed his hands on his slacks. "There's not any news out there about it - so there's no opinion either way - no reactions to preemptively prepare for …"

"We'll know right away if it was a good move or a bad one," Scott said. He paused, then cheated only a _little_ as he switched modes in his cybernetic eyes to see exactly how stressed out James was - and he wasn't surprised at all to see that the kid's blood pressure and pulse were right up there. He was scared, but he was covering better than Scott had ever seen him do. Maybe a little of Logan and K had managed to rub off in a good way.

Scott took a calming breath as James watched him, waiting for some kind of cue. "You know, James," Scott said. "There are a lot of things I can't explain properly, but I'm going to try and have some faith that in this - in dealing with the press and the public opinion of you - this is something Tony _has_ to be right over."

"Dad."

"He has to be right about it - not because it's what he _wants_ \- but because he was groomed to read the room from a young age. And I'm trying to trust that he wouldn't bring it up like this unless he _knew_ what the end result would be."

James bit his lip and again turned toward the doors as the crowd got worked up. "Yeah, I know, but you know he has faith in the wrong things sometimes too." He turned back to Scott. "The generals and military contacts I've been around … I've seen the way they look at me when I meet them, Dad. They know. They've known for a while, but it's like confirmation at first."

Scott frowned on hearing it and dropped his voice low enough that James almost had to concentrate to hear him. "And after that?"

"It usually takes a visit or two, but most of them don't look at me quite like I'm what they've been looking for _on sight_. After they see what I do with Tony, it _usually_ shifts to more like 'what has the kid come up with now'."

Scott frowned. "I'm not sure which side of the argument you're taking, son."

"Neither am I," James admitted, then let out a shaky breath. "I just know it can fall either way."

Scott turned to glance at where Tony and Jan were taking one last moment - with Jan triple-checking that Tony looked good - in a dark gray suit and red tie. Scott's scanners on Tony showed him nearly the exact opposite of what his scan of James had shown - moments before stepping out in front of the world, and Tony was perfectly calm. "You damn well better not be wrong, Stark," Scott breathed out - just because this would be the worst possible thing for Tony to be entirely wrong about.

But it also fit the bill for the kind of thing that Tony _would_ blow. Especially when _he_ wasn't the one whose neck was on the chopping block of public opinion.

Pepper announced Tony, and then Tony stepped out to a nearly deafening, rapid-fire clicking as the cameras took pictures at high speed and reporters started shouting questions at Tony, who held them off with a cocky smile and a barely raised hand as he shushed them.

Jan zipped over to Scott and James and took a moment to check James over one more time and squeeze them both at the elbow. "It'll be fine. They're going to love you."

"Dad, help, Jan's on drugs," James said just loud enough for Scott to hear and loud enough for Jan to catch and get all kerfuffled over.

" _Oooh,_ if I wasn't so happy to hear you teasing, _you would be in so much trouble_ ," Jan whispered as harshly as she could manage. She winked at Scott, then took James' arm and led him closer to the doors. "We'll be right here watching on the monitors. Show them confidence. Knock their socks off." Again, she popped up on her toes to give him a little peck on the cheek and one last once-over before she stepped back to let him wait in peace as Tony continued his speech about the direction the company had been taking - laying the groundwork out for them to understand before he even got to introducing James that this had been his plan for _years_ already.

By the time Tony got around to saying James' name, the cameras were flashing quickly, and James wasn't listening to his loved ones at all anymore - too focused on _keeping his focus_ and looking relaxed as he stepped out to join Tony.

The mood backstage was tense, too, and Jan broke it by nudging Scott's shoulder with an affectionate smile. "I know he didn't get that poker face from you."

Scott let out a disbelieving scoff. "Really, Jan?"

"What?" Jan blinked at him innocently. "Like you can hide anything, blue eyes."

"Oh yes," Scott said dryly, "of the two of us, _I_ am the open book."

Jan smiled more brightly and shushed him with one hand, looking toward the feed on one of the televisions backstage with them as Tony finished answering questions about his big announcement with James at his side. And Scott couldn't help but smile when he saw how _proud_ she looked - not just of James but of Tony. She'd found someone she adored, and Scott was always happy to see that look on her face.

Of course, then, it was James' turn, and Scott nearly held his breath as James stepped forward, looking like every movement was controlled. As he fielded questions, James was polite and careful, as all of his kids were, but then… then, one reporter asked him where he'd been _hiding_ for so long, and Scott could actually see the shift in James as he turned his full body toward that reporter.

"I was in _school_ ," James said slowly in a tone that clearly wasn't as polite or professional as he had been - highlighting exactly how stupid the question was. Particularly after Tony had already made a point of informing the press corps about what James had _accomplished._ "What were _you_ doing by my age?"

For a second, everyone backstage was surprised by the shift in James' tone - but then, Scott started to chuckle, absolutely recognizing James' mother in everything that came out of his mouth after that point. It was like watching K dealing with J. Jonah Jameson all over again - or mouthy teenagers. Or anyone _else_ who needed to be knocked down a peg.

And that, more than anything else, was enough to convince Scott that James was going to be okay. If he could weather something this big, with this many eyes on him, with his mother's sense of humor, he'd be just fine every other time.

And while Scott was relieved, he could hear both of his other kids _snickering_ through their mental connection with him as Rachel informed him, _It's just … he's not even thinking of witty things to say. They just come out like that!_

 _We should do this more often. Free show,_ Nate agreed.

 _Who can we turn him on next?_ Rachel teased, just to get Nate to laugh - but mostly to get _Scott_ to laugh, since she knew he needed it.

Scott laughed under his breath and sat down, watching the rest of the show with his chin resting on his hand and a smirk trapped at the corner of his mouth. "Well, damn," he said softly. "Stark might just have been onto something."

 _You gonna be okay?_ Nate asked. _Big admission and all?_

 _You're hilarious,_ Scott replied dryly.

_Hey, he's doing alright, and neither Rachel nor I can sense any immediate or realistic danger, so… cautious optimism, right?_

Scott couldn't help but smile at the familiar phrase, since it was one he'd drilled into the kids often. "Hope for the best but plan for the worst" was their motto of cautious optimism, and he was proud of the way they'd learned how to be better than he was at sticking to that idea.

The show went on for a little while longer, until Tony decided enough was enough and that the reporters that were being willfully stupid were veering dangerously close to a real correction on how idiotic some of those questions were - especially when the bulk of the reporters out there were honestly making up for that stupidity with _solid_ questions that just made the dumb reporters look worse. And Tony wanted to be sure that the narrative didn't end up slipping into how his hand picked successor was browbeating idiots with common sense.

So Tony stepped up with James and the two shared a silent conversation before Tony held up a hand, announced that the Q and A was over. As the reporters protested, Tony and James stepped back from the microphone to allow a few pictures of the two of them to be taken before they headed backstage again while Pepper once again stepped forward to handle clean up. It was seamless, and in typical Stark fashion, they left them _starving_ for more.

James' composure held until they got backstage entirely, where Tony had quit trying to hide his cackle at being proven _so right_. And while Tony was gleefully enjoying himself, James couldn't stop the epic eye roll as he tried to shake it off. He never lost his poker face, but he had obviously reached his limit, and he hadn't built up the tolerance to hide it yet once he got half a chance to breathe. And Nate _knew_ that even with the free-flowing sass, James had somehow held back - and he wanted to see him let it out.

"You gonna be okay dealing with them for the rest of forever?" Nate teased.

"If not, I'll make you go with me and play Pepper," James shot back.

"Can't. Not pretty enough."

"You can make them think you are," James pointed out.

"True, but if I'm doing that, why not just erase all stupid questions from their minds so I don't have to play Pepper in the first place?"

James stared at him with his best incredulous look. "You mean to tell me you could have done that this whole time and you've been _holding out_?"

Nate was grinning widely. "I'm a terrible, horrible excuse for a brother, I know."

"As long as you're not _feeding them_ stupid questions," James said, then pointed a finger his way. "Don't you _dare_."

"But I wanna now," Nate said, purely to rile his big brother.

Scott rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "Boys."

"I _challenge you_ to come up with something stupider than that guy did on his own," James said.

" _Boys_ ," Scott said, louder this time. "It's not a competition." He shook his head and then, just to get them off their conversational back-and-forth, made his way over to James and pulled him into a hug. "You did even better than I expected. Well done," he said warmly.

"Thanks, Dad," James replied quietly, more than happy to shift away from the teasing for the time being.

Scott smiled more genuinely with a whispered "I'm proud of you" that would have had him more emotional if Billy hadn't rushed over the _second_ they stepped back from each other to kiss the sense out of James.

"Marking your territory?" James asked with a smile when the kiss broke.

"Yes," Billy replied, riding high after the performance he'd just watched. "You'll need to keep up the same level of sass for your debut in Genosha, too."

James' smile went more crooked and he chuckled low before he pulled Billy into a tight hug now that the pressure was off.

It really was the best possible way to get James laughing again and set the mood for Tony to redirect them to the tower to celebrate - and watch the news happen live as analysts broke down what they _knew_ , what they had for information _now,_ and what this meant for everyone involved.


	67. Family, Friends, And Admirers

After the latest daily session with Craig, Hank, and Scott headed back to Scott's house for one more bit of business: packing the place up and securing it for a few months. The truth was that it really _was_ far easier for the X-Men to keep a constant eye on Scott if he was in Westchester - and more than that, they were making the case that it was beyond time for Scott to rejoin the family.

With two telekinetics and Billy on their moving team, it didn't take much time at all to get everything packed up. The boys would be moving too, and it was decided that James would drop Nate at his school for football practice on his way to his internship so that Nate didn't have to change schools when he'd worked so hard to get on the football team and he really did like his high school.

James was _fully on board_ for the temporary move as he had been struggling already to keep out of the public eye since Tony's unveiling. He'd had a few interactions with perfect strangers on the street in Manhattan that he'd called 'sketchy' though Nate insisted they were _amazing_ for how wildly enthusiastic some of them were - but neither of them would elaborate for Scott or Natasha. As a result, James was once again wearing an inducer more often than not when he wasn't in the house or at the tower.

What Scott wasn't expecting about the move, though, was the reception once they _got_ to Westchester.

Most of the X-Men -old and new - were there to help Scott and his family move in, but he hadn't even gotten through the door before Kitty had rushed over to hug him, knocking him back a couple steps before he hugged her back. "Woah, hey," he said. "What's the deal?"

"Just … really happy to have you _home_ ," Kitty said.

"Says the girl who's been living on Genosha," Scott said, shaking his head, even as he wrapped her up a little better.

"Alright fair, but … who came home _first_?"

"Hey, I had kids to worry about," Scott defended.

"Kids that would have been horribly _threatened_ around other kids." Kitty rolled her eyes. "Even though the kids here think they're big fat _superheroes_. And they are."

"Don't forget, one of those superheroes tried to set me up with his history teacher," Scott said. "I'm convinced that's a big part of why he doesn't want to leave his school. That and the football team."

"I'm pretty sure that there's no rule that says that he _has_ to go here."

"There isn't and he's not," Scott said. "He's sticking with his school come fall, even if my therapist doesn't want to give me the all clear by then." He shrugged. "It's an inconvenience for the boys," he said, his tone making it obvious he was bothered by it. He hated the idea that his issues were affecting the kids, even with something as simple as making them commute short term.

"Scott, even though it _is_ just for the summer, they'll love it here," Kitty said, shaking her head at him. " _And you know it_. We're totally going to spoil them rotten."

Scott smirked lightly - but it was hard to argue it when the other X-Men were making such a show of welcoming the Summers family to the institute. Still, the smirk fell when he looked around the place. "It's different," he said. "Being here."

"It's _home_ ," Storm said, announcing herself to the two of them as she arrived as well. "And it's been too long, Scott."

"Thank you for letting us come here," Scott told her.

Ororo smirked, especially since it hadn't been Scott's decision in the first place, so there was no reason for him to act like he was imposing. "You've always been welcome," she told him before she wrapped him up in a warm embrace, then stepped back with both hands on his shoulders. "Now, let's get you settled in."

With Ororo's arm around Scott's shoulders, they headed over to unload Scott's truck as well as James' Jeep. The older X-Men were stretching a little with their powers to make the move-in section go a little faster.

It was strange for Scott to watch, because it reminded him of all the times that he and the team had rebuilt the mansion, and for a moment, he was caught in the past - until he heard the boys bickering beyond him.

"No, you can _not_ drive the Jeep in for practice tomorrow," James told Nate. "I already promised we could stop for coffee, and I'm not letting you _wreck_ it. Especially not on the first day." The two boys were carrying the last of their boxes up to their room. "Besides, you still stall it every time you try to shift."

"Hey, I need the hours to get my license, and I'm not gonna learn if I can't practice."

"So get them with the truck," James said. "With Dad or Rachel. You know you need someone over 18 with you for official time anyhow."

"Oh, _come on_ ," Nate groaned as the boys continued up the stairs and Bobby slowed to a stop, watching them pass.

"Okay, _that_ is gonna take some getting used to," Bobby said, laughing as he rushed to help Scott with the box of his things - the last thing from the truck. "Kid looks like Logan but _reasons_ like you."

"Hey, I _raised_ him," Scott pointed out. "What did you expect?"

"Yeah, yeah. And it's great," Bobby said, letting it drop as the two of them watched the boys go. For a moment, the air hung heavy with the past as both of the first X-Men felt the weight of the years and the loss, and yet … that, more than anything else was enough to prompt Bobby into unloading what was on his mind. "So… we're getting the team back together."

"Looks like."

Bobby watched Scott for a second and then let out a breath and decided not to push like he'd originally intended. He was still kind of freaked out at how bad off one of his best _and oldest_ friends had been around any discussion of the team that they'd started out on together, so Bobby decided to back off - but he was pretty sure if they could get past this, maybe they could get back to the way things felt back then too.

Yeah, a lot had changed in Westchester. Yeah, there was still a shadow over all of them that were missing so many of their old team. Yeah, it was _really hard_ to see Rachel and James and not call them Jean and Logan. Bobby really didn't know how Scott had been managing all this time. But … none of that was something that could be helped. And it wasn't important anymore. What was important was that everyone was _home_.

* * *

Hydra had been aiding and assisting the MRD that had been so thoroughly decimated when Jean had gone on her rampage. The MRD itself had seen massive funding cutbacks after that fiasco - especially considering that so _many_ mutants had simply run to Genosha for safety. There had been little need for a whole government agency … so Hydra had stepped in to help eliminate the problem. They'd been quiet at first, but _everyone_ in the mutant community knew that the MRD was nothing more than a legitimate front for Hydra.

Which, was always destined to put them on the Avenger's radar. But Hydra had been careful, quiet, and _subtle_ in what they did around anyone that didn't outright disappear. At least … they were until Tony made his announcement with James. _Now_ they were stirring up anti-mutant sentiment and trying to turn the racist leanings _against_ Tony and his Avengers, though Tony insisted that was an uphill battle. They were in the minority - but it was a very loud and violent minority that was growing in membership with every passing, hateful rally.

The first wave of Avengers against Hydra was the 'A' team, of course. They were most familiar with the opposition, most prepared to deal with the energy weapons when wielded by someone who could actually aim, unlike the rioters and idiots that the kids were used to facing.

It was for all intents and purposes, a wonderful teaching moment for the Avengers to teach their young roster about Hydra, while letting them get their toes wet by playing clean up. The raid on the big, supposedly abandoned factory by the river was big enough, too, that there really was a big presence of Hydra … and SHIELD was having trouble keeping civilians far enough back with as little time as they had to prepare for this particular conflict.

It started … exactly like nearly every one of Tony's missions started - with a few armor-assisted missiles announcing their intentions by blowing out the entrance before he circled around to do the same with all the exits - effectively trapping the evil-doers inside until the Avengers and SHIELD could get to them.

But there were plenty of windows and just over ground level options for the baddies to come out and fight. Clint and Natasha were doing a fine job picking them off, but that nly lasted as long as it took for them to _mobilize._

And though they'd planned on the massive warehouse being problematic … they hadn't known that the building next to it - that had been handling produce as far as the local officials were concerned - was also housing extra forces for Hydra to protect their investments.

As the Avengers got down to business at the main target - knowing that there were labs sublevel that didn't show up on the official blueprints - both buildings flanking their target opened up and let out scores of Hydra to cut off the lead Team's reinforcements.

But the reinforcements were _more_ than happy to dive in and get some real action. Just _Cable_ would have been terrifying on his own as he let his abilities off the chain. Before the others could react, he had hijacked fifty soldiers and turned them against their own side. Even Prestige had to look his way with a disbelieving scoff before she turned her attention on levitating the more dangerous looking ones before they could take a shot on either the Avengers or the new Avengers line up.

Tommy was quick to let a bark of a laugh slip out as he darted into the crowd that Rachel had levitated, working his way through it to find the leader. He was obviously having a blast, though partway through his controlled destruction, Mia teleported over to him. "Hey. _Hold back a little_."

"Yeah, I know. I am," Tommy promised with a bright smile before he demonstrated as much by cracking a Hydra officer in the mouth. "I could have hit him in the throat - _but I didn't_. See?"

Mia smiled, shaking her head at him before she teleported off with the officer in question to let SHIELD handle him. "All yours!" She called out, dropping the officer from several feet in the air and then disappearing before his unconscious body hit the ground.

The SHIELD agents had been _slowly_ getting more comfortable with the kids on the team - though it was clear that some of them still held tight to the same outlook that much of the NYPD held: The kids and the Avengers were stepping outside of their jurisdiction by going in to deal with matters like this, though … SHIELD at least had proven that they weren't capable of doing anything on their own in the past over and over again. And the idea of the police stopping them alone? Laughable.

But that was day to day troubles. _During_ an actual fight both sets of authorities were content to stay back, keep watch, and catch anyone that slipped past the Avengers' line or hold anyone that was explicitly given to them.

Between the teams, though … the more seasoned Avengers were trying to show the kids how it was done. They kept the fight above the board, and it wasn't lost on the young heroes, either. They paid attention to things like the cameras in play … both those that belonged to the press and those that belonged to private citizens and even street-level traffic cameras. It all added up - and it wasn't unusual for footage to get leaked. And the Summers kids were taking bets on which angle was going to be the culprit this time.

Explosions were becoming incredibly commonplace as Tommy continued to zip through the Hydra agent's ranks and set off the percussive grenades they had as part of their personal arsenals … while they were still attached to the uniforms.

Billy was helping him along as best he was equipped to do, which, considering how close they were, it should have been no surprise to see that Billy was finding ways to keep the paths clear for Tommy - and to direct traffic of more soldiers right into his brother's zone of destruction while stemming the flow of soldiers from leaving the building faster than the Avengers could keep up. And since that was a pretty simple affair for him, he could do that almost half heartedly while trying to put to test some of what his mother had taught him to make his spells more efficient.

James was batting clean up on those that were trying to take out his teammates - keeping guard for his siblings and Kate in particular since Billy, Tommy, and Mia were in their own groove and the most mobile out of the whole crew. His siblings had to concentrate, after all - and the more physical aggression gave James a chance to let out a little pent up frustration on some cocky Hydra and MRD creeps that had taken exception to the young Avengers in attendance.

Midway through the fight, Mia had taken a high vantage point with Kate and the two of them began working together to find the best, most insanely hard to reach spots for Kate to shoot from. When she found a perch that suited her, Mia split her efforts at playing dashing rescuer to SHIELD agents and Avengers alike. She _wanted_ to be more aggressive in her role on the team, but after years of being the youngest in the group and having her mother warn her _so harshly_ against getting too deeply in trouble, Mia was still working her way up to full confrontation against people that were _actually trained_ instead of just angry civilians causing riots.

They were making a solid front, truth be told. The soldiers had weaponry, but that didn't do them a whole lot of good when Tommy and Billy were _completely_ disrupting their ability to use those weapons … and what little got past them was handled by Nate and Rachel, though once they got the word from the adults that they needed help _inside_ the building watching their backs, the two telepaths were more than ready to dive in and offer support. Mia and Kate shared a look, and in a heartbeat, Mia had pulled Kate and the two of them had joined Nate and Rachel- gleefully.

Kate was kind of the cherry on the cake, too - using trick arrows to suppress all sorts of _large_ machinery and weaponry … gleefully shooting EMP's that whistled past any time she spotted Tommy slowing down or Nate slipping from his floating position. Neither option was acceptable as far as she was concerned.

"You three going to be okay out here?" Nate called out to James and the twins, not surprised one bit when Tommy was the one to answer.

"They're the ones that need to be worried. We're _great_."

"Yeah, okay, sure," Nate said. "Something goes wrong - _tell us_. We'll keep an ear open."

While James was pounding on a guy that could have given Tyler a run for his money, and the twins were wreaking havoc on the lowest level of Hydra, Nate reached out to find the mutants that they knew were hidden deeply in the complex. Rachel was watching his back as they rushed in, but the truth was that many of the more slippery Hydra agents in the building had disappeared into their snakeholes, and they needed to find the right one to follow. She pulled him along telepathically, and as he often did when he was concentrating hard, it wasn't long before Nate had gone from a floating lotus position … to an _upside down_ floating lotus position. And Rachel was shaking her head at him. "Do you have any idea how much of a dork you are?" she asked.

"Hush. I'm trying to concentrate," Nate shot back, though he was smirking to himself.

Rachel looked over her shoulder at her brother and let out a sigh of longsuffering. "Hey Hawkeye - you got us covered?"

"Don't I always?" Kate called back with a grin, waggling her eyebrows just to get a reaction out of Rachel. And it did … at least, she gave Kate the same dry look that Scott always used when he was less than amused.

 _Looks like we're all consolidating,_ Rachel projected to Kate while around them, their more physical adults were, in fact, pairing up to protect while their more cerebral members were trying to sneak a peek deeper. Mia had switched to pure nerves … almost dancing in place and shaking her hands out as Steve, Natasha, and Clint met up with them - waiting to hear where they were headed out of the half dozen options ahead of them.

After a few precious moments, Nate flipped right side up and tipped his chin in the direction he knew the holding cells were from the minds of the men inside.

"Alright, we've got this," Steve said, holding up one hand to keep the kids from thinking that it was okay to follow. "No reason for you to see what's going on in there."

"Except … we're actually the ones trained in talking to traumatized mutants," Rachel pointed out. "Yes, you're good, but … are you holding cells full of terrified mutants good?"

"Oh, look," Natasha said with a proud smirk. "The X-Men are marking their territory."

"That's not …"

"It is, and you're right," Natasha said. "Let us lead in case it's worse than we thought. Please."

Rachel crossed her arms. "That … is reasonable, I guess."

"Think of your dad," Steve said. "He'd murder us if we gave you more for your therapy sessions."

"Like we're not in therapy anyhow," Nate grumbled, since - surprisingly, out of the three Summers kids, he'd been the most resistant to it since Genosha, and considering that he was a telepath, there wasn't a single trick any therapist could pull that he wouldn't know about going in. And he really didn't appreciate anyone telling him he needed more help - so he played along, but didn't actually actively participate.

 _Focus_ , Rachel projected to her little brother, since she knew he was a little touchy about the subject … and they _still_ had plenty they had to do

 _Yah, yah,_ Nate grumbled. _I just don't like waiting around._ He was shifting from one foot to the other while the Avengers pressed into the room. _Kind of our wheelhouse, right_?

 _In their defense, we haven't seen much of experimented-on mutants,_ Rachel pointed out.

 _No, we just rescued a whole bunch of them just to watch them_ die _in front of us,_ Nate said, sounding bitter before he drew in a breath, squared up and walked in after the Avengers _anyhow_.

Steve glanced over at the group of young heroes as he turned toward his communicator. "James, if you can get to a console, we can use a little help. Tony and Natasha are working in here, but it looks like these cages can't be accessed from this station."

* * *

Outside, things were starting to simmer down a little. But just a little. James had finally seemed to have gotten the brawling out of his system and had fallen back closer to where Billy was floating and continuing to disrupt the flow of Hydra to a point that SHIELD could manage it on their own - with Tommy's excellent help.

James had work of his own to do after all. He'd just agreed to help the group inside - if he could find a console that would give him access, that is. And if someone tried to get too close to either James or Billy while they were working and _actively_ covering each other's backs … well, that was their mistake.

It wasn't long, though, before James was entirely transfixed on the task at hand - breaking through pathways into the programming and working hard to project to Rachel and Nate what he was finding and what they needed to do on their end to open up the cages, because of _course_ it was a two-pronged approach to open those cages. And when the coding got to be too complex and in need of breaking on both sides, Rachel reached out to Billy to watch James' back as Nate projected to _James_ what they were seeing on their screens. James found himself giving Nate the direction he needed to break in on _his side_ while he was still breaking through things outside, too. It was working, but James was entirely distracted as an end result.

On hearing the suggestion, Billy turned to take in the scene around them that was rapidly shifting. It wouldn't take much to derail James' concentration, and that would be enough to hold up the rescue efforts inside - but he still didn't think anything was going to happen … until someone rushed toward them, gun drawn and aimed at _his_ Wolverine.

It was _nearly_ a wordless spell that sent the Hydra soldier into a hellish-looking spiral of black flames and what looked like chaos magic, but it was enough to give James a little something to see as he finished helping Nate with the hack. A smile tugged at the corner of James' mouth as the Hydra idiot wished he'd reconsidered going after Wanda's magic-wielding mini-me.

But James and Billy were _still_ trying to keep their relationship on the Q.T. in public, so instead of the flirty tease James _wanted_ to let slip, instead, he managed to keep it to a much more sedate, "That was so hot."

"Shut up," Billy replied quietly, though he was smiling all the same as the blush bloomed up high on his cheekbones.

"Almost done … hold please," James said. "Just need to finish up a few little presents for the team."

"Uh huh," Billy said, shaking his head to himself while James started humming. He couldn't _really_ respond to anything, after all … not when they were on the job, anyhow. So instead of rising to the bait, he turned to watch that no one snuck up on them, floating slightly higher as his eyes and hands glowed - even doing a passable Magneto impression for how angry he was trying to look.

But James couldn't let it stand at that. He glanced up as he waited for his last commands on the console to take effect and couldn't stop himself from a little more teasing. It was too easy, after all. He shifted so he was blocking himself from any cameras that might have caught him for the rest of his gentle teasing. "You are so flippin' impressive," James said quietly with a crooked smile … just because he really _had to_.

"I thought you wanted to keep it quiet," Billy said, losing most of his put-on angry expression.

"Yeah, well … not like there's a big crowd yet or anything - and we're far enough out that I _should_ be able to complement my own _teammate_ , right?"

"Oh my God," Billy laughed, then tried to focus on the task at hand again. "You're going to blow your own sneak."

"Mmm … remains to be seen," James almost sang out as he went back to work.

To preserve himself from the teasing that _would_ have Billy breaking form and flirting back, he drifted away slightly and focused once again on the Hydra men around them who were trying to slip closer to stop them. He'd just found what he thought was a higher up lieutenant trying to slip out when there was a sharp, arcing sound of electricity crackling in the air and a flash of light that lasted only a few seconds before James fell back from the console with a heavy thud. For an instant, Billy thought there might have been some kind of defense mechanism on the console that James had somehow _missed_ when he saw a familiar young Acolyte rushing toward James.

Billy frowned as he started back toward where James was down and the Acolyte was working to contain him. "What are you _doing_?" Billy demanded - his tone shocked and livid, though it didn't quite carry the same outrage and power his grandfather threw around regularly - as the handcuffs were closed around James' wrists.

"Dealing with a traitor and opening the gates for our kind _faster_ ," the young man said, then almost belatedly put on a hard smile and swept into a falsely sincere bow. " _Your highness_."

Billy scrunched his nose and furrowed his brow before deciding now was the time to start a spell. He raised his hands, then let out a sound of pure displeasure when the gathering light faltered and he fell from the air as his powers sputtered out. He hit the ground hard, failing to catch himself properly when he simply wasn't _prepared_ , and before Billy could gather his senses enough to demand an explanation, someone stepped up behind him and slapped a collar on him. He spun, angry and ready to fight hand to hand, only for the guy who had trussed up James to grab his hand and for the two assailants to get him on the ground too.

What's more, before they pulled him to his feet, one of the men put something on his head, too - and when Billy tried to project for Rachel or Nate, he was rewarded with a splitting headache and a sharper pain at the center of his forehead.

James was smoking from the electrical charge that the first Acolyte had hit him with, but before he could rouse, they gave him what had to be an identical device - clearly meant to stop telepathic interference in its tracks.

"Don't worry," one said over Billy's shoulder as they started dragging James and pulling Billy along as well. "We're taking you home, where you belong - away from the telepath's influence. You'll be free soon."

"I don't _want_ to go-" Billy started, his lip curling around the words for how angry he was. "I belong _here_." All he could think of was how much he was going to make sure every single one of his grandfather's old Acolytes were going to _suffer_ for pulling this stunt. Clearly, they didn't realize how Magneto himself would have handled it. He pulled hard and tried to get his hands loose - making it difficult for the Acolytes to drag him and sure that Tommy would _destroy_ these idiots the moment he saw what they were up to … until he saw that they'd already managed to snag Tommy, too.

All at once, Billy was torn between scared about what was to come at the hands of these fanatics and so indescribably angry that he was swearing in Romanian … just like his mother often did.

"Did anyone manage to find the others?" A deeper voice asked, and the tone and timbre of the voice had both twins sharing a look at the familiarity. For just a second, they got a glimpse of him as they were dragged toward a stolen SHIELD transport whose edges were shimmering.

"Not yet," another replied. "The only reason we got close to the one was because the others were in the building. We'll leave someone behind to ambush."

The second speaker shouted out in pain as Tommy made contact - kicking the guy hard between the legs - then crumpled over, moaning and no longer in control of himself, though the man in charge looked pleased to see the fire … and that was enough to connect the dots for Billy.

It had been _years_ since Billy or Tommy had been this close to Fabian Cortez, and for as devout and sociopathic as he'd been _then_ , Wanda had been sure to keep the boys far from him. Still, Billy knew the guy had been lurking for years, following Magneto and scrabbling for whatever scraps the old man would throw his way as far as keeping people invested in the Lensherr dynasty. But he looked a lot older than what Billy supposed he should have, even at his age. Now, Cortez was white-haired, scarred up, and not nearly as burly and imposing as when Billy had last seen him up close.

But what was sticking with Billy now was the fact that even _Magneto_ had kept the guy away from his precious princes. Nothing about this could _possibly_ be a good thing.

Of course, that was about when Cortez turned toward Billy. "Don't worry, my princes," Cortez said as he followed them into the transport. "We'll make sure you're thinking straight again in no time, and then, we'll deal with all of the traitors that had a hand in murdering our king." An explosion sounded on the far end of the compound the Avengers had been infiltrating. "But for now, it's time to get you far away from that building before the Avengers destroy it and murder all of those mutants inside."

"The Avengers aren't going to destroy it," Tommy said. "What's wrong with you?"

Cortez turned his way with a pleasant smile. "No, they aren't … but that's what we're going to tell the world when it goes down. If any of those little miniature Avengers are caught up in it, all the better." He glared down at where James had been dropped on the floor of the transport. "I would have preferred the other two murderers were going with us, but the outcome should be the same."

Billy and Tommy shared a look, silently conveying not only the emotion both of them were dealing with but encompassing an entire silent conversation before both of them doubled down on the fight to get loose - after all, they only needed to get the collars off. The Acolytes hadn't quite gotten Billy into the plane as he threw himself around as viciously as Tommy was. Tommy was doing his best to be a pain, even going so far as to bite one of his captors, and as Cortez stepped further onto the plane, he unintentionally kicked James, paused to look down, then purposefully kicked him again - much harder.

Billy let out a wordless shout of anger, drawing Cortez' attention, then saw it for just an instant when James' eyes opened. A second later, James let out a deep, rippling snarl and swept Cortez off his feet with a well-placed kick. He kicked out again, twisting himself up to launch the guy into his own men - half of whom were half scared out of their mind at the snarl that had neatly filled up the fuselage, but Cortez wasn't phased. As soon as his men had him halfway on his feet, he dove at James and simply started pounding him bare-fisted. It wasn't a fair fight, and clearly, James had not thought it out _at all,_ since his hands were firmly behind his back. Once Cortez had climbed over him, all he could do was struggle to move out of the path of his fists, try to _throw him off_ \- and do his best to bite him.

* * *

"Oh, okay, we're moving now," Mia said, bouncing in place for a beat before she burst forward to be right on Nate's six as he went into the room where the captive mutants were.

When they got inside, Nate only made it a few steps before he stopped short at what they found … scores of cages - cages that had clearly been meant for animals, not people - every one of them holding at least _one_ mutant in varying states of disarray. Most of them were wearing flimsy hospital gowns that were stained with old and new blood. Very little of their appearance was hopeful - and every one of them looked either terrified out of their minds or so resigned to all that had happened to them so far that they were impassive.

"Nightcrawler," Natasha said, turning and stepping into her line of vision. "You should probably go outside."

"Take Hawkeye with you," Clint added.

'Okay, bye Dad.' was _right_ on the tip of Kate's tongue, but when she saw how still Mia was … "Yep, let's see how the boys are doing outside. You definitely have a need for Speed right now."

"Oh, wow, yeah, that was _bad_ , Katie-Kate," Clint said thickly.

"And considering how bad most of his jokes are," Nate said, letting the sentiment drift off.

"Okay, bye!" Kate said, then took a hold of Mia's arm, and the two of them teleported away.

* * *

Billy's attention was still on the fight on the floor of the aircraft where James and Cortez were fighting hard … the tide had shifted but not turned when James broke his hand to pull loose of the cuffs - and then immediately started trading blows with Cortez, even if the guy was drawing his power from more powerful mutants around him. The guy seemed perfectly content with the idea of beating James to death if he could.

There was a muted _bamf_ followed by an echoing twang and Billy barely closed his eyes when he saw the blinking mechanism on the arrow shaft. Seconds after the beeping started, a shockwave washed over the inside of the plane. There was no flutter or flash, but everything electronic in the vicinity was suddenly shut down - from the cloaking mechanism on the jet to the inhibitors on the captive princes.

The _instant_ that Billy and Tommy had access to their powers, the fight with the Acolytes and their attempted kidnapping was over. Tommy rushed to make the rounds, punishing whatever acolytes Billy didn't flatten with a shockwave that only seemed to affect those that were standing against the X-Men - harmlessly washing over Kate, Mia, Tommy, and James. Before Cortez could hit James another time, though, he'd gone stock still mid-strike, his arms hovering over his own head as Billy focused on him before, very suddenly, Cortez was simply _gone_.

"What are we doing with the rest of them?" Tommy asked, looking every bit as livid as Billy but _more_ like their grandfather, if for no other reason than the fact that his hair was white.

"Can you warn Mother that the prison will have some new guests - and tell her what they did?"

"That's what I was hoping you'd say," Tommy said with a nod. "Be right back." From there, Billy turned his attention back to the Acolytes that had attacked them and waved a hand - not realizing that he was achieving the spells wordlessly when he was _that_ focused and angry.

Kate made her way over to where James was still lying down, bloodied, half out of breath, and focusing on making sure his nose was straight before it healed up. She sat down and crossed her arms over her knees as she leaned forward. "So … your siblings are on the way up, So you know."

"I am not surprised at all," James said, then a hollow, grinding crack filled the fuselage as James broke a few bones back into place and covered half his face with both hands.

"What happened?" Kate asked, shifting to prop her chin up on the palm of her hand and not at all being sneaky as she projected everything to Nate.

"You know, I'm starting to think it's just the usual … and that maybe I was _right_ , and that it's a mistake to do this whole … team thing," James said, shifting to a more upright position and making an effort to keep his siblings _out_ of his head again. He wasn't entirely sure himself if he was joking or not, but he knew he didn't want to clue them in before he knew how serious or not he was. "Hardly worth all the effort Jan puts into the uniforms if I'm going to go through them like this, too."

"To be fair, this one's lasted you at _least_ three missions," Kate pointed out, half smiling. "Looks like it's still good for one more _anyhow_."

" _You_ can just say you intended on the extra hip holes," James said. "No one wants to see holes on mine."

"Okay, James. You tell yourself that," Kate said, rolling her eyes. _There is no way your brother is that dense to the fact that he has a following_ , she projected to Nate.

 _You underestimate him,_ Nate replied. _We're on our way. Really - is everyone okay up there? I mean … I can see James is being … himself, but the doubt is a recurring thing I don't want to see right now._

 _He's just anxious. Billy can talk him out of any stupidity he might be considering,_ Kate pointed out. _But it might be good to talk down the twins. Sounds like it was an attempted kidnapping - looked like one, and I'd know what that looks like._

_Yeah, I know. Everyone in Hydra wants you._

A few moments later, Nate and Rachel had met back up with the rest of their team just as SHIELD started to make a more aggressive effort to contain Hydra - and though the seasoned adult Avengers members were included in that push, the special agents coordinating were making a point to try and keep the kids out of it. Especially after seeing how they'd nearly managed to let them get kidnapped with _no_ SHIELD backup.

But that left the kids slightly removed from the action and marginally closer to the growing crowd watching the events unfold behind a police line.

Billy still hadn't come down from his rage, and was trying to pull back the look on his face that had James watching him with an expression that clearly conveyed some apprehension. It wasn't that he was honestly scared of Billy in any way, he was just … concerned that he might slip the wrong way if enough bad things happened. It wasn't something that James normally thought about, but when Billy was doing such a great job of looking like his grandfather, it wasn't something he could ignore.

"Oh, look," Nate said quietly to Rachel and Kate. "He might actually have finally realized I'm right about the whole … powerful dangerous attraction angle."

"Shut _up_ ," James said, halfway glaring at his brother. "Not even close."

"I'm just saying … this one's on a better path. The older one was what happens when it all goes _wrong_."

James rolled his whole body as he turned away from his brother and headed to the medic to get some things to clean himself up. He was healed - dizzy, but healed - and he wanted to try to get the blood out of his nose. Everything felt like it was where it should be, but if they needed him to follow a scent, that wasn't something he could pretend through.

He was halfway through - and looking a lot more presentable with his cowl off and his face cleaned up when Mia came over to check on him. "Wiccan might _maybe_ need to be talked down, still," Mia said quietly, knowing that the SHIELD agents nearest them wouldn't be able to hear them when she spoke so low.

James looed up at her and nodded. "When we go, I'll try."

" _Try_ , he says," Mia countered. "You better do more than try , seeing as the reason he got so mad was half _you_."

"Yeah, shoulda seen that idiot coming," James said, covering for her well in case anyone was reading her lips or caught _that_ on camera to analyze later. They were just turning to head back to the rest of the X-Men when Mia stopped, frowning outright at the crowd behind James. On seeing her expression, he started to pay a little better attention and turned, following her gaze to see what it was that had her upset.

What he saw was of line of civilians just beyond the police line straining to see what was going on. Many of them were wearing Avengers gear - a couple of them old t-shirts from Xavier's … and one of the young ladies there was being pushed back by the cops. James frowned and tipped his head slightly to try and focus on what was being said before he made his way over, and what he heard from the group generally was how much they wanted to see if the X-Men _really were_ the X-Men.

She didn't look like she was a whole lot older than Rachel … maybe five or six years _tops_ , and she was incredibly emotional as she begged the cop not to make her leave. "I'm not doing anything wrong!" She said, her voice wavering. "I just … I need to see-"

"You need to go home and stop getting all worked up about a buncha muties," the cop said, which was enough to get James to bristle.

"Hey, Nightcrawler, why don't you go tell my sister what's going on," James said. "I'm going to go make a bigot uncomfortable for a minute."

Mia smirked to herself and teleported off as James rolled his shoulders, ready to tear this cop a new one if he had to. He cracked his neck and started toward the commotion, not surprised when the cop didn't see him coming until he was nearly on top of them. "She do something wrong, officer?" James asked, and the cop turned with a scowl, though he startled slightly when he saw it was James and not one of the others, though the rest of the X-Men were trickling over slowly.

"None of these people need to be here," the cop said, to which James nodded.

"Did she push on the barricades?"

"What are you, her lawyer?"

"Do I need to be?"

The cop held his gaze, but James wasn't blinking or backing down. "You people-"

James started to growl, cutting the cop off, and before it could escalate, his partner took him by the arm and pulled him away. "Why don't you cover the spot Gino had?" the second cop suggested. "He _did_ have to arrest someone for tryin' to push through."

James watched the cop go, then turned toward the little group that had stuck tight. He'd _meant_ to ask if they were alright, if there had been a problem …. But before he could do that, the woman that had been being harassed launched into a teary-eyed explanation explaining how she'd been saved by the X-Men when she was just a kid … not long before the mansion had been destroyed and so many of the X-Men killed.

Partway through the story, Rachel and Nate caught up - both of them still hiding their identities as their father had requested, but unable to miss the story, from how strongly she was projecting it - even if they'd missed hearing it directly from her at the start.

"I _know_ I never would have been able to grow up if it hadn't been for the X-Men," she said as she concluded her story. She looked over at Rachel, her eyes wide. "Up close, even with the mask on … _you look like her_. You _smile_ like her."

Rachel looked entirely caught off guard, but smiled all the same, with no response to something that had taken her by surprise.

The young woman had been looking between all of the young X-Men, drinking them in and making her own conclusions on who was who. "They were all so _kind_ to me," she said. "And it's not … I've seen the Avengers … they do their job, they save people too, but … the X-Men _cared_ and kept me safe, not just saved me. They cared about everyone they helped, and treated the people they saved like family."

When she started to cry again freshly, James' shoulders dropped and he took a step closer and wrapped her up in a hug that had her letting out a breathy, disbelieving laugh as she held on tight. "Oh. You hug _just_ like your dad," she said in just over a whisper, which only had him holding on to her a little tighter.

When the hug had met its natural end, James was sure to keep a hand on her shoulder until she could pull herself together a little better … but then it became a small _thing_ as some of the other people closest to her started coming over to get hugs, too - or shake their hands and tell one or another of the kids a story of their own, or just how happy they were to see the X-Men going again.

Eventually, the crowd petered out on stories and the cops came back to break up the fun - though having had a chance to see the kids up close, the young woman that had kicked it off didn't argue or fight with anyone before she simply turned and left as the cops reestablished their line. The kids drifted back to the action - or where the action had been - since it was just about time to wrap it all up and the adults were starting to gather up. Clint had been standing off to the side and simply watching as the kids finished up and came back his way.

The Summers kids were, understandably, solemn as they returned to the Avengers, but Kate was feeling _great_ after a successful mission, a successful save of her best friend and almost brother, a successful interaction with normal people at street level … all she had left to check off her list of successful things before getting into a very successful makeout session was a little bit of teasing.

"Oh. My. God," she said before they'd made it more than a couple paces from the barricades. "You," she poked James in the chest, "are a giant _hug magnet_."

"What's that supposed to even mean?" James asked, not sure if it was time to rise to the bait or not.

"It _means_ , my friend, that people are clearly tripping over themselves to get a hug from you! I thought it was just kids, which … I mean, that is _totally_ a thing, but I didn't realize it was true for adults _too_."

"Kate," James said easily, half smirking her way. "I think you need your eyes checked. I hugged her first. Not the other way around."

"Yes, _but_ \- it started a chain reaction. They could have hugged another X-Man _first_ if they were just in need of snuggles, but they were waiting for turns hugging _you_." She was grinning brightly. "She missed the hugs that _Logan_ gave her … and _you_ hug just like he does. Apparently."

"Did you miss your shot at a hug from him when he was here?" James asked quietly.

"Yes. Because he was too busy hugging _you_. And … _my mom_ and most of Westchester, too."

"Maybe she and this girl should start a support group," James deadpanned.

"Only if you're going to be there to hand out hugs when it's over," Kate shot back. "It'd be your new full time job from the sounds of things. 'Sorry, Uncle Tony, you'll have to find a new future CEO. This one has decided to hand out hugs instead.'"

"Sure, Kate," James said before he bumped her shoulder. "It must be really amazing in your head - with all the fiction and drama."

When they got back to Clint, Billy and Tommy were standing with their heads together talking quietly and sure to keep their backs to Clint to ensure it remained private.

James bumped Kate's shoulder then stepped over to the twins. "Guys, you done deciding the fates of a bunch of jerks?"

"Not our call," Billy said, though he was trying to relax. "That's up to Mom."

"Oh, okay," James said in an almost perky tone. "So they're dead now."

Tommy broke into a grim smile. "I wouldn't bet against it."

"Then we should probably get away from the crowd and do the walk with the old people," James said, which had both twins relaxing a little more as they headed toward the transport … which was easily in view of the gathering crowd.

But what no one expected was that as the kids got closer to the jet, a smattering of applause started up, then grew quickly to whoops and cheers … but not until _after_ the big-name A-listers were on board. Most of the kids didn't know quite what to do, but … all they needed to do was follow Billy and Tommy's lead - which only had the crowd and the press going nuts.

"We are so going out once we get changed," Nate said over Kate's shoulder.

" _Yes_. Yes we are. That's _so_ overdue," she giggled, and unlike Billy and James … they had no trouble with a little PDA for their adoring fans to gush over.


	68. Meanwhile, Across The River ...

"Do you realize," Craig said after a long and successful session with Scott, "that when we talk about your life and what you do in your spare time, _all_ you talk about is your nearly grown children?"

Scott blinked at him, clearly not expecting the conversation to go in that direction. He'd thought they were simply winding down their session by talking about something a little less shocking than the truth of what the X-Men had been through. Working through the details of that was still hard, and he _still_ hadn't come around to talking about what had happened with the professor and with Logan in that room - though he was willing to talk to Craig about who Charles and Logan were before they died and why they had been so important in his life.

So yeah, he'd been happy to talk about his kids. Who wouldn't be?

"They keep me busy," Scott said, shrugging. "They're amazing kids. The X-Men, the Avengers, James' position in SI, Nate's games…"

"I don't mean that you're simply being proud of them," Craig clarified. "I am genuinely interested in what you do _for yourself."_

Scott frowned, blinked, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I… I've been so busy… Keeping them safe has always been a full-time job. Searching for threats, keeping an ear to the ground, going to after-school things - being a single father isn't easy, you know. And there have always been weapons groups coming after my kids, since they were _young_."

"Again, I wasn't asking what you've done for those kids. And I wasn't downplaying it, either. You've done an amazing thing looking out for them all this time, knowing what you did about the dangers facing them. But what do _you_ do?"

Scott opened his mouth once, then twice to answer Craig, but he found he couldn't actually answer the question. He hadn't even _considered_ anything but keeping his kids safe in so long… the last time he'd really done something for himself had been when he and Jan had been dating.

Craig leaned back and let Scott flounder in his own lack of an answer for a long while before he finally spoke again. "So you can see my dilemma, can't you?" Craig said quietly. "I'm trying to give you the tools to live your life, but you can't conceive of a life outside of your children - who are grown and about to leave you with an empty nest."

"It's not like they'll be far-"

"Scott." Craig let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. "That's not the point."

Scott shook his head. "Craig, I'll still be looking out for them even when they're grown. That's what I did with the X-Men. That's what we always did."

"So you're planning to return to the X-Men?"

"What? No."

"I asked you what you do for yourself, and you talked about the X-Men."

"I was just trying to explain-" Scott pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I've been an X-Man since I was sixteen, Craig. I'm not on the team, but as a friend of mine recently reminded me, that doesn't mean I ever stopped believing in Professor Xavier's dream. My years on that team defined me. So yes, I brought them up to explain why I'll always be looking out for my family, no matter where they are. We had each other's backs even when we were all grown and married, too."

Craig smiled lightly. "It's always nice to hear you talk about your old team," he said. "I can tell they meant the world to you. And the public didn't get to hear any of this."

"No, they didn't," Scott said, leaning back. The loss of his team weighed on him heavily still, even in therapy. There was so much he had to explain to Craig just to build up the foundation of knowledge of what the team had been before he could even _begin_ to think Craig would understand what the team had been - and what he had lost. The team had died in secrecy while they were still branded terrorists by the government. No one knew them like Scott knew them.

Craig allowed Scott to sit in his thoughts again while he considered how best to explain his own point. Then, he leaned forward, his hands clasped in front of him. "My problem," he said at last, "is that you've built an identity for yourself with an expiration date. And it's hard for me to give you the tools to stay in this world when the moment Nate graduates, you will have lost your purpose and your identity. You'll be there for them if they need you, of course, but who is Scott when he's alone? You don't even know."

When Scott was shocked into silence, Craig continued, "You told me that you promised James you wouldn't follow Logan's path, but the problem is you've been working toward an end date since the day you lost your wife. The _only_ reason you've been able to function without addressing the trauma and loss you went through has been your self-appointed mission to keep them safe." He held up one hand. "I'm not saying it wasn't a necessary calling. Lord knows those kids needed someone who knew what they'd be facing, and you couldn't have asked the Avengers to look after them, not when they didn't live through the anti-mutant fervor you did. I understand your choice. But you made it your _only_ purpose in life, and the closer Nate gets to graduating, the closer you edge to feeling like you're finished." Craig leaned back again. "Please, tell me I'm wrong. I don't like to think any patient of mine believes he has an expiration date."

Scott stared at Craig, unconsciously shaking his head. "I don't… That isn't…"

"Scott, that's exactly what your problem is. I don't care what promise you gave to James; you can't live a life without a purpose, and you can't _enjoy_ a life without an identity."

Scott shook his head. "I… do things," he said, though even to his own ears, the excuse sounded powerless. "I have coffee with my friend Toby. And I see my brother and his family more often now that Genosha isn't completely cut off with Wanda at the helm."

"That's a start," Craig said, then got to his feet, signalling to Scott that their session was coming to an end. "But Scott, I need you to decide who you are outside of your obligations, outside of your relationships. My worry is that you've defined yourself and your whole life by your family - whether they be the X-Men, your children, or your blood family - and you're completely unprepared to be alone." He sighed. "I'm not saying you shouldn't be with your family. In fact, it's healthy for you to spend more time with them. But please, find something _you_ enjoy. Take a knitting class. Play a damn video game. Take that teaching job Ororo offered you at the school. Because you're never going to dig yourself out of this hole until you can be a whole person regardless of how old your children are."

Scott shook his head even as he shook Craig's hand. "Right. Well. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Craig smirked. "It's alright Scott. I'm your therapist. I'm not doing my job right if I'm not making you face uncomfortable things."

"Uh-huh." Scott shook his head again. "See you tomorrow," he repeated, still quiet as he slipped out of the room to where Hank was waiting in the lobby, his head in a good book, as always.

Hank looked up as Scott put his hands in his back pockets and led the way out. "Ah. I take it things went well?" he said mildly.

Scott shot him a dry look. "It's fine, Hank."

"Of course it is," Hank said in a rich, deep tone. "When is it _not_? It's been 'fine' since the day I met you … that was a charming evening, if I recall ..."

Scott couldn't help but smirk Hank's way. "That's not the word I'd use."

"Balderdash," Hank chuckled. "It is exactly the word you use. It was _only_ a self proclaimed villain trying to steal nuclear secrets. What's not _fine_ about that, my dear friend?"

"We were fine after the fact," Scott defended, rubbing the back of his neck, though his smirk had turned into a smile.

"Exactly my point," Hank said, grinning wider.

"Then yeah, I'm fine," Scott said as they headed out together bound for Westchster.

* * *

It was a Friday night, which meant Kate _insisted_ on taking Nate somewhere fun, all but pushing him into her car (not that he was trying that hard to stop her) and informing him that they were going for a night on the town. The whole Summers family was still getting used to the new normal, so Kate wanted to get _out_. Go have some Korean - that always reminded her of when she was _tiny_ and Tony took her to get Korean food when she was still small enough to feel overwhelmed by the sudden change in her life. To Kate, going out for Korean was a kind of security blanket, and she was extending that to Nate, too.

Outwardly, he _seemed_ like he was doing better than the others in his family, but Kate was in his head too often to believe he wasn't tense as one of her bow strings, so she was sure this was the remedy.

And as it turned out, it was. By the time they were done and looking for a place for dessert - trying to decide whether to go totally the opposite way from dinner and go super-sugary-American or stick with the international theme - they were completely relaxed, engrossed in each other, and being _teenagers_. Normal teenagers.

Well, except for the part where their makeout sessions were telepathic.

 _Mostly_ telepathic.

They were starting to progress in their levels of PDA when they finally decided on a frozen yogurt place. Neither of them cared much about the dirty looks a few of the patrons were giving them over the fact that Nate's hand was on Kate's back under her shirt or that they were giggling, stealing kisses, and sharing looks that read all kinds of trouble. They didn't plan to stay any longer than the time it took to get dessert and take it on the road.

Kate was perfectly pleased with herself, too. Nate kept leaning over for more kisses, and she had purposefully gotten plenty of frozen yogurt and lots of toppings. And she was eating. Every. One. Individually. Just for the look on his face.

Finally, Nate was done waiting for her and simply grabbed her yogurt cup and took off running. She had been expecting him to break and pull _something_ , but she hadn't expected the grab and dash, and she let out a laugh before she ran out the door after him, giggling madly and knowing he was going to kiss the sense out of her once she caught up.

She got out the door just in time to see him turn the corner - she was sure he did that on purpose - and took off running. She was just so glad to see him loosening up and grinning that it hadn't even occurred to her that they were both _far_ too distracted in a public place - up until she turned the corner and ran nearly right into a green-clad man's chest.

All at once, it was like a switch flipped, and everything her parents had taught her clicked in, starting with a knee to the guy's groin and a spinning kick when another one tried to circle around her. Someone grabbed her around the waist, and she flung herself backward in a bend her dad would have been proud of, until her hands touched the ground and she could use her weight to kick up, once again dislodging his grip. It was immediately obvious who had trained her - but that just made them more determined to get their hands on her.

She absolutely would have gotten away from them, too, if a side door in the alley - an employee exit from a nearby restaurant - hadn't opened at exactly the wrong moment. Some poor kid taking out the trash had stumbled his way into a Hydra fight, and when Kate had to switch focus to push him back inside so he didn't get caught up as a human shield or worse, that was enough of a distraction for someone to get a gun in her face.

Up ahead, Nate was still smiling, ready to scoop her up as soon as she caught up, but when she wasn't on his heels _like always_ , he let out a noise from the back of his throat. "Come on, Katie. It's _time_ to get going. Really." But still, even after a minute or two, not only had she not shown yet, but it was oddly quiet for the city, too. His smile began to slip and he started to walk back the way he'd come, half expecting her to jump out of some alleyway to try and scare the crap out of him - it had happened once or twice.

The further Nate went back the way he'd come, the more convinced he was that she was either _really_ screwing with him … or something was off, and considering how life had been lately - and knowing that they'd ticked off Hydra in their last big mission, Nate decided to play it safe … just to see. The worst that could happen if she was safe would be her accusing him of being in a _rush_ … which … _who wouldn't be_?

Nate found a dark alley to get out of sight from passer by's and then took a slow breath to center himself before he started searching the area … glossing over busy minds that hadn't seen Kate or himself … nothing seemed too out of place. Until he found the first Hydra soldier … and the second … third … He looked up, his eyes glowing as he realized this was really _not okay_. But instead of taking the time to hit his emergency button, he started running toward the mental signatures, then reached out for Kate. _Where are you? Can you see anything? Because there are like four vans here and I don't want to wreck the wrong one._

 _Oh, hey, sexy. Um, no, can't see which van, sorry. There's a guy in here with a limp and one who's bleeding, though. Does that help?_ Kate offered. _Recognize their voices._

 _Okay. Tell me when yours moves, then,_ Nate projected out before he picked up a Hydra goon telekinetically and threw him into the first van. An engine started up, and then, just because that had ticked Nate off, he tore the wheels off all of them before he'd turned the corner to get closer. This was the kind of thing that Natasha and his Dad had warned about … so, Nate reasoned, subtlety was out the window.

On seeing the wheels fly, a whole lot more Hydra guys started trying to circle around the vans - and Nate was no longer even entertaining anything but _finishing_ the job and moving on, so as they raised their weapons his way, he froze everyone around him for a three block radius and started reading their minds beyond the immediate 'kill the mutant'. As soon as he _saw_ what they were planning - and what some of them had been _daydreaming_ … that was it. He lost his temper _spectacularly_ and every Hydra agent around him and Kate simply crumpled before he ripped the doors off the vans - and let Kate out of the mental paralysis.

"Sorry. It was kind of a blanket thing to stop them."

Kate smiled tightly as she sat up and looked around. "I missed the epic fight?"

"There was no epic fight," he said.

Kate frowned and looked around, suddenly realizing that there were no signs of struggle…. "You shut them down?" she asked as she crouched down by one, took his knife from his side, and handed it to Nate to cut her loose.

"I froze them first," Nate said as he cut the ropes off. "I was just going to get you out and let them try to figure out where you _went_ … until I read their minds and _maybe_ lost my temper a little bit. No one got hurt that wasn't Hydra and we can still walk out of here before I un-freeze everyone."

Kate shook her head. "You know, sometimes I forget how powerful you are," she said softly. "It's pretty hot, you know that?"

"Is that why you were more interested in ice cream than stealing kisses?"

She let out a soft laugh. "I like making you suffer?" she offered.

"Fine by me," he said, smiling crookedly. "Ready to go? Or did you want a trophy?"

"Nah, I'm okay. I've been getting jumped by Hydra since I was four and they realized Tony was my godfather. Mom and Dad were a little better at hiding it than he was."

"Yeah, I know, but now I'm going to have to keep an ear open for these morons." He kicked one of them with the tip of his shoe. "Well … not these particular morons. You get the point."

Kate's smile widened, and she stood on her toes to kiss his cheek. "It's really hot when you lose your temper and get all _territorial_ , you know that, right?"

"Um … I do now?"

"Well it's amazing. Totally unnecessary, but sexy," she teased.

Nate's smile lost some of it's teasing quality. "I respectfully disagree," he said slowly. "And I maintain that I held _back_."

"Oh, I know you could have lobotomized every one of those guys in a blink," Kate promised. "And you could have done it while flying us home and shielding us from anyone even noticing your dramatic rescue. You hold back _all the time_ , babe."

_And I would really really like to go somewhere away from these losers before I reconsider._

_You're really bothered,_ Kate said, genuinely surprised - because she was so _used_ to Hydra being a problem it didn't feel important enough to get Nate this bothered.

 _Yeah, I am,_ Nate admitted. _Because I read their minds and it pissed me off._

Kate slipped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him. _It's fine. Mom would've strung them up by their jewels the second she heard what happened. The last guys that tried to kidnap me? Dad tied them up with Christmas-themed bows and gave them to Barney for target practice._

 _Your mom would have killed them._ Nate gave her a raised eyebrow look. _So would your Dad, and so would my siblings._

Kate frowned and pulled back to look Nate in the face. … _oh. But… really? It's usually… I mean… oh…._

 _Yeah. Oh._ He took just a moment to kiss her forehead. "Let's go, please. I'll sleep on your parent's couch so you don't have to drive back in the dark alone. Dad will be fine with it."

"Uh-huh." Kate nodded lightly and hooked her arms around Nate's neck again, still thrown off by the experience. She didn't know _why_. It wasn't like she didn't know men could be creeps and hadn't dealt with problems like _that_ in her life. It was just that Hydra had always been… Hydra. They were after her parents and she was bait and that was how it went. Even when she was an Avenger, she was a way to get to Tony or Clint or Steve or Nat - usually Nat or Steve, really.

When she seemed like she was still shell-shocked, Nate let out a patient sigh to catch her attention before he scooped her up to carry her out. "Kinda quiet, Hawkeye," he said into her hair. "Your parents are going to think I did something horrible to traumatize you … unless that qualifies as horrible."

She shook her head quickly. "No, you were dashing and sexy as always," she promised. "Just mentally recalibrating my completely rational hatred of Hydra to include more visceral swear words."

"Please don't take this as a defense of them, but it was _individuals_ thinking that way. I didn't want to mess around though. I don't think the higher ups would _care_."

"No, they wouldn't. I just…" She let out a strange-sounding laugh. "Okay, this is gonna sound weird, but like… the Hydra goons have always seen me as a _kid_ so like… it's almost like a weird acknowledgement I'm not?"

"Katie. You know you're amazing and beautiful. You've seen yourself, right?"

 _I do own a mirror, yeah,_ she teased him lightly. _Not what I meant._

_I know. Just trying to ease you out of your head. A little._

_You know the funny part is I think if it was Strucker he might even have been mad about it cuz he likes to have all the cards, and he'd be pissed if he contacted my mom and I was already in a fit state. Which is now a thought that I have in my head._

_You are not making it any easier_ not _to lobotomize them. I don't_ need _to be an Avenger … and … from what I've read, X-Men … slip. From time to time._

 _Awww, there's the possessive - I mean protective - streak I love so much,_ she teased.

_So are you looking for the puffed up proud or the 'aww, shucks, just doin' my job, ma'am'?_

_Only if you do it in a bad accent,_ she teased. _Out loud._

 _Is there any other way?_ Nate asked before he did, in fact put on the very thickest, worst faux Southern accent he could manage as he repeated it.

Kate burst into laughter and pulled him into a long, lingering kiss. "Okay, take me home, Andy Griffith."

"I was shooting more for John Wayne? But I'll take it."

"Barney Fife?"

"Not on your life."

"I mean, compared to your brother-" she started to say just because she knew it was a button to push.

"Oh, _come on_."

"Traumatizing fair play?" she offered, fluttering her eyelashes innocently. "C'mon, sweetheart."

"Hey, if it's got you joking around? I'm all for it."

"Aww, love you too," she said and kissed him again, then let her shoulders drop. "Okay, let's go let my parents know Hydra wanted their attention."

"Nice and easy or should I just … _project it all_ to them at once?" Nate asked with a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Um, Dad's trying to talk Mom into another baby, so let's not give them heart attacks, please?"

"Okay, fine. Am I driving or are you? I'll just … let Dad know what the plan is. You know, because he doesn't need a heart attack either. He's _delicate_ you know."

"I'll drive, since you're reaching out to everyone, and you might need to concentrate if you're preventing heart attacks," she teased. And then, just to get back to the good mood they were in, once they got to the car, she took her hair down, leaned over, and kissed the sense out of him first. "Okay, now we can go."

* * *

"Hi, Mom, I'm home," Kate called out when they got into the apartment. She tossed her keys on the table near the door as Nate closed the door behind them. "So … some things happened, and we are harboring a Summers tonight … unless you really, really want him to go home - but I don't think you'll mind when you hear what happened."

"Does it have anything to do with the platoon full of Hydra operatives that SHIELD found in the park twenty minutes ago?" Natasha asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Um … yes," Nate said.

"I'm listening," Natasha replied, crossing her arms over her chest. Of _course_ she knew about the attack. Of _course_ she knew they were involved … what she didn't know was what it was that the operatives had done to incite that kind of a response from Nate. But considering the players, Natasha had a few educated guesses. She just wanted to know what exactly she was going to end up doing with the men that had been arrested by SHIELD.

"It's okay, Mom. Nate handled it with exactly the level of oomph called for, I promise," Kate said, her fingers laced tightly through Nate's. "Attempted Hydra grab. Nate got me out, and I'm absolutely in need of snuggles to get past the creeps."

"You don't really think that is enough of an explanation, do you?" Natasha asked, one hand on her hip. "Because I thought you'd know better than that, Katherine Barton."

"I'd rather not repeat it, honestly," Nate said, and when Natasha raised an eyebrow his way, he continued. "I _can_ project to you what happened, though, if you want to see it."

"Please," Natasha said before she headed over to sit on the couch so Nate could get to work.

He let out a breath and centered himself before his eyes began to glow, and he pulled Natasha into his mindscape to show her what had happened from the moment he'd realized that Kate wasn't _with_ him. He didn't hold back on any of it, not bothering to filter his gut reaction to all of it as it went down, up to and including Kate's reaction when she realized what Nate had done. He did, however, stop short of showing her the quick makeout session just afterward.

"I purposely kept them down until SHIELD could pick them all up," Nate told Natasha. "All of them - including the ones that weren't in the immediate area. For those that were further out, I _suggested_ to a few SHIELD agents where they might want to look for them."

Natasha considered him for a long moment, trying to decide who to hit first, even if she _had_ a plan in place to interrogate those that were captured anyhow.

Nate looked between Natasha and Clint. "So … is it alright if I crash on the couch? I promise I won't do anything but sleep. I just didn't want her to drive home on her own, and I can totally just … text Billy for help or something."

Natasha and Clint shared a look that held an entire conversation that was borderline telepathic for how well in-sync they were. "Sorry, kiddo; you're gonna need to call your future brother-in-law to get you home. Rule is no sleepovers without supervision, and we're gonna be busy tonight."

"Okay, first of all … they're too young to be _that_ serious, and second … no problem," Nate said. "I really just didn't want her driving alone if the Hydra morons were looking for her." He took his phone out with one hand as he watched the family interact, then after he sent his text, he looked over at Kate. "I'm very sure your phone is about to get lit up with a jillion texts assuming the worst."

"Yeah, America is probably gonna come over-"

"No sleepovers," Clint put in, and Kate stuck her tongue out at him.

"What about Billy?" Nate suggested. "No danger there and he'd nuke anyone that screwed with her."

"Hey, look at that," Clint said, shouldering Nat. "Cramping everyone's style but ours."

"That is _not_ what I was getting at," Nate said dryly.

"Uh-huh. I also have an older brother."

"Is he more or less reliable of a help than Billy?" Nate asked with a crooked smirk.

"Depends. Want someone dead…" Clint turned with his whole body toward Natasha. "Hey! Think Barney would want to kill some Hydra goons who tried to mess with his niece? He hasn't gotten out in a while."

" _I_ nearly killed them," Nate said. "Sounds like a no-brainer for Uncle Barn."

"Perfect." Clint clapped his hands together. "Alright. Billy's babysitting and sending the boyfriend home, Nat and I are going on a date, and Bucky gets to lose to me in a shooting competition. Wins all around." He saluted Nate with two fingers, though Nate could hear the discord between his easy jokes and the fact that he was all but projecting _murder_ over the whole thing.

Nate took a moment to give Kate a quick, chaste kiss just as Billy came in. "Sorry, beautiful. I know you don't need the backup for you, but you need the back up with the _kids_ around."

"Yeah, I get it," Kate promised. "We'll pick up where we left off later."

"Yes. Absolutely.”" Nate turned to Billy with a smirk. "So. You get to zap me to Westchester … and stay here. Surprise!"

Billy blinked a few more times than necessary. "Wait. That wasn't the deal."

"Deal changed," Nate said easily. "Katie has Hydra creeps wanting to get in her pants, so …"

Billy spun toward Kate, who waved with the tips of her fingers. "Hi. I'd make a bad joke here, but my parents are already going to go break Avenger rules, so… hi, Billy."

"You're needed here to _help_ ," Nate said. "Pretty sure James won't mind - you know … except for the part where they're beating down creeps without him."

"Yeah…" Billy shook his head. "Alright. Hard to get mad when it's for a good reason. Sure you don't want me to wish them out of existence for you?" he offered, but Kate shook her head.

"I promise whatever my mom is going to do to them is a hundred times worse." She gestured toward Nat. "Besides, she needs to let off steam."

"And she's going to get the order of who's in charge of who, too," Nate added. "Can't do that if you just disintegrate them or whatever."

"But you're sweet to offer," Kate said, patting the seat beside her on the couch. "C'mon. Dog Cops marathon?"

Billy smiled and came to sit by her. "Hard to say no to that."


	69. Stop The Presses!

The team was doing what it could to lay low for a little while considering that Hydra had made a play for Kate - and Magneto's old acolytes had made a play for not only the twins, but for James, too. There were credible threats floating around with a lot more frequency and honest threat than they'd been used to seeing in years. But that didn't mean that it was possible for them to batten down and hide _entirely_.

The team still had work to do - people to save, kids to rescue, and in James' case - outings to show up at as part of his responsibilities to Tony's company. So far, his interactions with the press had been positive, and he suspected that it was in large part due to the relationship that he had with Tony. He just didn't have any proof since the only time he'd been talking to _press_ was when he was _with_ Tony.

Both Tony and Jan had framed it to sound like it was a matter of training him on how to act around the press when he was the one in the spotlight, but he knew it was them protecting him and trying to ease him into it. And because that's what he knew for sure, he wasn't pushing to get out in the spotlight without him.

But that plan was never going to work out long term. And the short-term outlook was pretty not-too-hot either. Which was why James was making sure to have _someone_ with him when he stepped out in public. He'd tried to make sure it was always a friend - or someone that was known to be at the tower, but as soon as Rachel realized what he was doing, she decided to step up and spend some time with her little brother the next time he wanted to go out for five minutes.

"Rach, no," James said as he tied his shoes to head out. "You shouldn't be seen with me."

"Why not? You're not that ugly," Rachel said in a teasing tone that only big sisters were capable of harnessing.

"If you say so," James said. "But that's not what I meant. You look as much like your mom as I look like Logan. You _specifically_ shouldn't be seen with me."

"And like my mother, not only do I have the Phoenix backing me up, but I am also unburdened by the pressure the men in my family try to put on me. I'm a big girl, little brother. I can handle myself _and_ anyone that comes after you." She reached out to screw up his hair, though that was becoming harder to do the longer he let it grow. "You need a haircut. You know that, right?"

"I'll think about it," James said, batting her hand away. "You know … I really don't need anyone going with me."

"Ha. Nice try. Tony wants you to have someone with you, and more importantly, so does Dad, so just … quit trying to protect me when I'm the one protecting you." She smiled as she stepped back so they could get moving. "Unless … you're re-thinking keeping it quiet publicly with Billy…"

"I am _not_ risking Billy like that," James replied with a sharp edge to his tone.

"Okay, okay," Rachel said, smiling to herself. "I'm just looking forward to when you do make it public knowledge. All the crushed hearts the two of you are going to leave in your wake..."

"You're evil, sis."

"I know. _So_ evil."

James sighed, but knew there was no way he'd be able to win this fight with Rachel, so instead of being overly stubborn - which he _could do_ \- he decided to run with it. She was right … she could handle herself.

They headed out together, trying to hold a mostly meaningless conversation while telepathically conversing about what really mattered - which, at the moment was consisting mostly of Rachel making sure her brother was alright. The anxiety that went with being in the spotlight was still high and diametrically opposed to how they'd been raised to keep their heads down and avoid attention of all sorts … and that was a hard habit to break. Even if Rachel could see that when it was positive, it was doing James some _good_.

They were a couple blocks down from the tower - on their way to pick up a few items that they needed for game night when the first camera flash went off and James tried to ignore it - even as Rachel looked toward the photographer. It was clear James was taking Tony's coping mechanisms to heart - but Rachel hadn't been coached in that yet, and she quickly discovered that making eye contact was as close to an invitation as reporters and paparazzi got. Not that they wouldn't dive in to try and get the pictures or soundbites they wanted _anyhow_.

The first question came along with a rapid fire camera clicking - but it wasn't the usual stuff that James was used to hearing asking about the business or the Avengers. "How many of the original X-Men are on the team again?"

James smiled tightly, but didn't answer, following Rachel's lead to the little corner market they preferred to shop. Thankfully, the reporter didn't go inside, which likely meant they were more legitimate, and the two of them were quick to grab the items on their list - with Rachel teasing him telepathically the whole time.

When they stepped out again, the reporter had picked up a few colleagues and the questions started freshly. A bright eyed young woman led the charge, asking questions about the X-Men and how he was handling being on both teams _and_ working with Tony.

 _That's the girl running the fan site,_ Rachel told him with a muted smile.

 _So she's a friendly,_ James projected back to her, then took the time to try and answer the girl as they continued to walk, even managing to answer a few of the other reporters' questions in the same fell swoop, streamlining it enough that they all seemed pleased to get _something_.

By the time they got to the parking garage where James' Jeep was, they'd picked up a few less than legitimate or friendly types, and though the questions still hadn't taken on a tenor that was anything close to the thinly veiled racist accusations Scott had been forced to field years ago, they weren't anything close to professional either.

These new idiots _did_ cross the line into forbidden territory - and they asked him all the same kinds of things that they _used_ to ask Tony … before he married Jan. Most of them were laughable - or just dumb, and James found himself entertained by the way the young fan-site administrator was utterly repulsed by the things being said, but even she perked up and held up her phone when one of the paparazzo asked: "Who's the redhead?"

James glanced at Rachel, who was trying to decide how to respond as well … she couldn't say they were teammates since she was the only redhead on the team that was masked - and that would have their Dad in fits. Likewise, saying anything about their sibling relationship would have people digging.

"You guys have a good night," James said, trying to move on and get _out_ before they speculated anything further. Especially when Rachel didn't have any bright ideas on how to handle that question either. _I'm telling you … this would have been better for_ you _if I'd gone alone._

 _If you'd gone alone, you'd probably have a Hydra moron trying to put a bag over your head right now. They're around and I'm a deterrent whether you like it or not_ , Rachel replied, though she'd lost her smile as they tried to move quicker to the Jeep.

 _And that moron would be regretting everything_ , James replied. _These questions are getting dumber._

The thought had no sooner left his mind when the idiot asking about Rachel really out did himself. "She looks kinda familiar … you two been dating long?"

James lost a step and lost his grip on his expression, though Rachel wasn't far off from the same. But the best he could manage was " _No_. Damn what's with the dumb questions?" Which, James wondered even before he'd closed his mouth if that was too much … or enough of a tip off … or … _I'll run him over if he tries to block the exit_ , James promised Rachel.

_If it wasn't on video, I'd erase that from his mind._

_Can you erase it from mine?_

_No. But only because I can't erase it from_ mine, Rachel replied as James shook his head. They were climbing into the Jeep when one of the _legitimate_ reporters made the connection.

"Hey! _Miss Summers!"_ He called out, and Rachel's head snapped up on instinct just before she swore to herself for reacting like that. "Are you trying to hide your identity because of the crimes your mother committed?"

When James glared at the guy with a flat, entirely unamused expression, he dropped the loud, pushy tone and shrugged, leveling with the two young heroes. "Hey, now that I see it, I can't un-see it. She looks just like her mother without the mask on. You sure you two aren't … _you know_ …" The reporter was grinning crookedly as he gave Rachel as much of a once over.

There was a moment where James just stared at the guy, squinting and trying hard not to just walk away and leave the question open before he spoke up in an unbearably flat, dry tone. " _Very sure_ ," James said, then flat refused to say another thing to any of them - looking entirely livid at how such a simple walk had turned on _Rachel_.

"Does that mean the X-Men don't allow dating between team members?" the paparazzo asked, and again, the young woman reporter looked entirely disgusted at the guy's questions.

"Obviously _not_ ," another reporter chimed in from the back. "Have you seen Hawkeye and Cable? Or Nightcrawler and Speed?"

 _I … would vouch for you to Dad and Tony and anyone else if you were to run them over,_ Rachel said. _This looks like a really solid self defense case to me._

 _Just … I guess let's see how long it takes for Dad to call. There's no way in hell this isn't making the rounds fast._ James fired up the Jeep and the cameras began clicking again - enough that Rachel found herself subconsciously sliding down to get out of sight as much as possible. Those not taking pictures moved out of the way and let them pass. They weren't on the road long before James spoke up. "Well that was _scarring_."

Rachel was quiet as she looked out of the window, actively scanning the people around them and making sure that they didn't get recognized on the road. She had to think over how she wanted to say it because James kept looking her way with his most irked 'you have to admit it' look that he could manage. "Okay. Maybe I should have let Dani walk with you instead."

"Dani's already got two warnings on her from the cops," James said. "Both of them from getting idiots like that away from me. One more and I gotta do something _big_ as a thank you."

"And America definitely doesn't need any more cops bothering her over beating up people that are asking for it," Rachel said, trying to think of someone that would have done a better job. "The only other person around was May…"

"Yeah, no," James said. "Bad move. She's still not speaking to me even in groups."

"What? She's _mad_?" Rachel scrunched her nose up. "Why? Because you're a hero now?"

"More or less," James said. "She holds a grudge. I shouldn't be surprised." Finally, a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, though he kept his attention on the road. "You know what they say about redheads."

Rachel's mouth dropped open and she let out a noise of pure irritation before she hit him - hard, and just like that, their usual teasing started up with the awkwardness in the air gone with a laugh.

During the course of the drive to Westchester, where the Summers family was still staying, Rachel and James found a way to start planning and plotting their way back to a more normal ride 'home'. From the joking around, they shifted to discussions on what would be the best way to cover the team in case of dampeners and EMP's … since the current plan of attack James had in place was to make sure they all had EMP's to disrupt dampeners if they found themselves in a pinned down spot … that would make sure they could use their abilities, but it would fry their panic buttons. But frying the panic buttons was an automatic 'no' from all of the adults involved.

James was working on insulating the panic buttons - or interweaving an automatic trigger for the EMP's that would send out a panic signal before killing everything else electronic, but so far, the signal wasn't long lasting enough to show the way for help to come to them.

They were pretty wrapped up in their strategizing session by the time they got to Westchester, the events of Rachel's outing more or less swept under the rug when they had much more important things to discuss. They continued bouncing ideas off of each other as they gathered up their things and headed inside - still chatting about options they had to consider.

They were barely shifting to what the plan was for game night with their dad when they were greeted by Nate and Bobby - both of whom were clearly looking for some kind of excuse to get started, but neither Rachel or James were willing to make it that easy on them.

"Technically," Nate said, grinning _obnoxiously_ , "it doesn't count as incest if you're not _blood-related_ , but still. What's _wrong_ with you two?"

"I am going to _murder you_ ," Rachel growled out.

"Ooh, incest _and_ fratricide. You're on a roll today!"

James took a slow deep breath and straightened up as he cracked his neck and flat out ignored the commentary from the peanut gallery in favor of doing literally anything else. Especially if Nate and Rachel were already making it _worse_. In that moment, though, it was unpacking the things they'd picked up in the city and blatantly ignoring Nate.

"I don't even know where to start with you - _and you know that's the dumbest thing you've ever said_ ," Rachel shot back at Nate. "And that is _impressive_."

"He's technically correct on every point, though," Bobby said, barely talking through tears of laughter. "Oh man. I haven't seen that look since … I think since Kitty locked Scott in his office and Jean had to go get him. Except yours is even _better_."

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Rachel asked, irritated that when she _wanted_ to flout a little fire, it wasn't coming to her easily.

"And miss the show?" Bobby grinned.

"If the show is Nate making an absolute _ass_ of himself…" She let out a frustrated sound and threw her arms up. " _I don't even know why … Ugh!"_

"Bobby just thinks it's funny because of the resemblance," Scott said, announcing his presence in the doorway with the kind of glare Bobby's way that used to reflect in brighter light off his lenses.

"Bobby thinks it's funny because it is the most hilarious thing that's happened in a _month_ ," Bobby said.

"Bobby's gonna get roasted when Rachel stops blushing," Nate said, more than happy to build up the show from _either_ side.

" _I am not blushing you …._ Horrible, rotten, _miserable_ excuse for a brother."

"Your face is red…"

At that, though, James reached out and swatted the back of Nate's head hard, still sticking to silence.

"Nice defense of your … um … what do you preferred to be called, sis?" Nate laughed.

Scott pinched the bridge of his nose, ignored his youngest son, and then turned toward Rachel. "What happened, Rach?"

"I don't know," she said, looking flustered now that they were in a safe place to go ahead and speak freely. "One minute, they were being _incredibly obnoxious_ with James and the next … I don't know." She threw her hands up again and ran one hand through her hair.

Scott hadn't moved. "You don't usually trip up like that."

"He called her by name," James said, though he wasn't adding any more to it, not knowing what made the air and what hadn't.

"I heard," Scott said. He let his shoulders drop. "Rachel, I get it. It came out of nowhere, and it just happened. But you're usually so _careful_."

"I know - _I still don't know how …_ I can't believe it," Rachel said, looking honestly upset.

A lot of Scott's own anxiety left him when he realized how _deeply_ bothered Rachel was - and not just because of Nate's teasing. He sighed and stepped forward to pull her into a hug. "Probably a reporter who covered the old team. He guessed right, that's all."

"Yeah, that's pretty much what he said," Rachel admitted.

Scott pressed his mouth into a thin line. "Be careful," he said tightly. "They tripped you up once; they'll try to get more out of you by guessing again."

"I'll ask Jan to help me," Rachel said. "I thought it would be a lot simpler thing to step in and help … I don't know. I guess I just thought they wouldn't pay attention to me? They were _so focused_ on screwing with James ..."

"Jan will definitely help," Scott agreed. "She's been texting me since it aired to offer."

"Oh, God," Rachel said, covering her face with one hand. "I really thought they'd just bother James like they always do when he's with … you know. Anyone. I probably should have had Jan and Tony coach me sooner."

"Don't feel bad, Rach," James said, trying to ease her worries. "You can blame it on me for losing your cover. You wouldn't have lost it if they weren't following me."

"No," Scott said in a sigh. "We've always assumed it would happen sooner or later, given the family resemblance."

"Yeah, but how long has she been walking in and out of the tower with no one pestering her until now?" James asked. "Proximity was a factor."

"Bobby, if you say out loud what you're thinking, you _will_ get knocked out," Rachel said, and Bobby broke into another laugh.

"He's just like this," Scott said, though even he was having a hard time getting _too_ mad when it had been a long time since he and Bobby had been home and doing exactly this sort of thing - down to the teasing and the angry Phoenix, too.

James looked between Bobby, Nate, and Rachel, then decided to try and leave the situation if he could manage it. "I'll have an image inducer for you in the morning," he told Rachel, then turned to his dad. "And I'll buy a different car."

"They'll follow you anyway," Scott pointed out, then smirked. "Besides, I like the Jeep. Get a new car for the tower, but let's not get rid of that one."

"Yeah, I wasn't going to ditch the Jeep," James said. "I just figured if that's the angle they want to run with, I'll just make sure Rachel can look like someone else on the way in." He looked over toward Nate. "I'll do the same for him, too. Because I can see him _trying_ to get busted to lose the mask." James kept his expression neutral, but he was sure to project to Nate. _You get what you get._

_Love you too. But not like that._

_Please, don't ever start drifting that way. I already promised Dad I wouldn't hurt myself,_ James shot back. _Do me a favor though - lay off Rachel and I'll let you pick the car._

_Done._

_Thank you_ , James said, finally relaxing a little since at least now, Rachel could try and breathe. _Just for that, I won't even put stipulations on it other than pick it tomorrow._

_You're the best, you know that?_

_You just really need a hobby._ James turned toward Scott. "I'm guessing the night's shot then? You guys can do the games … I'll just go get to work."

Scott let out a long breath and nodded. "Alright," he said - though James didn't miss that Scott hit Bobby upside the head once James was only _almost_ out of sight as the party finally started to break up.

"I really am sorry," Rachel said quietly to Scott. "We were just trying to get our game night set up … we were trying to do something _good_."

Scott reached out to pull her into a gentle hug. "It wasn't your fault," he said. "It was a reflex. You're allowed one or two of those." He paused. "And … maybe we can pull James into a game after Bobby and Nate cool off a little more. I think as things are, someone's going to end up getting stranded in the Danger Room."

 _That'd have to be Bobby,_ Rachel projected to him. _James already bribed Nate to back off._ She turned pointedly toward Bobby and Nate. _Note the smile but the lack of participation._

 _And that,_ Scott said, smirking, _is why James is a genius._

 _He's just learning how to work everyone,_ Rachel replied. _And being sneaky about it._

 _I'm aware of that too._ Scott shook his head. "So, what games did you bring?" he asked.

Rachel blinked innocently. "All the ones Nate sucks at."

Scott laughed outright. "Good call," he said, steering Rachel toward the living room with his arm around her shoulders - genuinely looking forward to a game night after all the stress lately.

* * *

"So … I need to know what kind of _budget_ I've got to work with," Nate said as he dropped down at the table across from James. "You said no stipulations, so I need to know how much I'm allowed to work with."

James glanced up at his brother from the teasing he'd been taking from Billy over the gossip news concerning James and Rachel. "What are you thinking?"

"Something fast," Nate said with a grin.

"Okay, this is my not surprised face," James said, not shifting his expression at all.

"Yeah, but … there's 'pick whatever you want' and then there's ' _pick whatever you want',_ " Nate pointed out. So … can I pick something _new_ , or does it have to be domestic … or …"

James sighed. "Nate. _Pick whatever you want_."

"That's … really? You're not going to give me _any_ stipulations?"

"Gotta be able to carry at least one passenger," James said after a moment of thought, before going back to his coffee and waiting for the verdict from Nate.

"And it's gotta be something useable _now_?" Nate asked, almost wincing.

"Yeah, that was the plan," James agreed. "Why? Whatcha got in mind?"

"Well if it wasn't an immediate need thing, I'd say we could find one to work on."

"We can still find one to work on for if you ever get your license," James said. "But I said if you were picking it'd have to be done _today_."

"I just thought you'd go on another quest …."

" _Nate_."

"What _are_ you planning?" Scott asked, frowning as he looked between his sons.

"Tony's been after me to upgrade the 'to work' car for a while anyhow," James said. "So I figure now that there's more reason than 'Tony said so' I'd play ball. But … I want better taste than Tony's advice."

"What did _he_ suggest?" Nate asked, honestly curious at what Tony thought James should have.

"He was trying to push me toward an Audi," James said. "Not really my flavor, and I figured you'd go about as far from that as possible."

"What do _you_ like?" Scott said. "Since you're buying it, you should like it."

"Generally, Nate and I pick similar stuff as far as cars go," James answered, neatly stepping around the question.

"Well … if he's pushing for German … we definitely need to go American," Nate decided. "Mustang. No doubt."

James turned back to his brother, doing a fine job of keeping an even, steady expression. "You sure?"

"Oh yeah. Totally." Nate's face lit up. "Have you seen the new ones on the road?"

"Haven't seen them open up," James said. "But I haven't really been looking either." James pushed back from the table then turned to Scott. "Are you busy today?"

"After my appointment, no," Scott answered. "Why?"

"Is it okay if I take you to your appointment - or does it have to be an 'adult'?"

"Craig wanted to talk to Storm, but-"

"No, that's fine," James said. "I'll just hitch with you and we can pick up a car before we come back."

"Wait," Nate said, frowning at his brother. "You're just going to buy one? Like you're picking up a loaf of bread?"

"I do get _paid_. I can handle it," James said. "And I need a different car, so yeah. Dad can help me pick it."

"And if you don't see anything you like?" Nate challenged.

"Then… Storm can bring us back and I'll try again tomorrow." James turned to Scott. "If she's okay with that."

"Go ahead and talk to her. I'm sure she won't turn you down."

* * *

For the first time since he'd started therapy, Scott was in a bright mood, ready to get through it so he could see what, exactly his middle child was up to. Yes, James' job made it possible for him to pick up pretty much anything he wanted on a whim, but this was a little out of James' usual coping methods, and Scott was wondering what exactly he was up to if this was how he was choosing to handle things. He simply _didn't_ buy things for himself.

But of course, Craig had noticed things were different - and that Scott was a little distracted. "I suppose it would be best if we cleared the air right off the bat," Craig said as he sat down. "I saw the news last night and again this morning. That _was_ your daughter on the news, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Scott said, "that reporter caught her off guard - it was a reactionary response and she's kicking herself over it pretty badly."

"So that's two out of three that are openly known to the world," Craig said. "How are you handling that while it's still fresh?"

"Like you said, it's still fresh."

"Is that why your son is waiting with Ororo today?"

"Yes and no," Scott said. "He's got his own things to do today, but it's a direct result of what happened last night."

"Alright. Why don't you tell me what you're thinking, Scott. I don't mind opening up our conversations from time to time, but I do need you to tell me more than yes or no answers and I can tell by your expression that you're a lot more stressed over this than the matter of fact answers you've given so far."

"What do you want me to say?" Scott said, sounding like the stressed out and worried father that he was. "She's been doing _good_. They all have. She's been an Avenger for a couple of years with no one really pushing to figure out who she was other than passing 'who is this new mystery hero on the Avengers'. And now? Instead of leading asking her about her latest rescue or big heroic feat, they're asking her about her mother's _crimes_."

Craig nodded. "And you feel as if nothing has changed."

"It hasn't," Scott said. "Not really. The minute she was recognized as Jean's daughter everything good she did is gone. They don't care. They're still mad about what the Phoenix did, and for a lot of people that were affected, I can't even blame them. I still can't even think about how many _innocent_ people died from those fires. But that's not on _Rachel_."

"It's early," Craig said. "If I recall, there was some similar blowback when your son stepped on that stage with Tony Stark. It blew over quickly enough."

"Maybe in the press," Scott said. "But not anywhere else, I'm sure. And Rachel doesn't have the same buffer that James does. She's an Avenger, sure - but she's not covered by Stark's blanket protection."

"No, but does she _need it_ in the same way? She is, by everything you've told me about her so far an incredibly competent, capable, talented, and compassionate young woman. She has a power set that is practically designed to give her an early warning system against anyone that might want to do her harm. She's probably better equipped than you are in many ways."

"That's not…." Scott sighed, then reached for his scars - diverting to rub his eyes at the last moment when he caught himself reaching.

"Scott - I need you to put a little time in looking at all of the positive things that are being said about your kids in the public. I know you've always looked for the threats, and I can appreciate that, but you need to see the good things being said about them by the people they're helping and the people that are watching them help others, too," Craig said. "What those kids are doing … it's _good work_ , Scott. They're making a difference in a very big way."

"I'm just …" Scott held his breath as he tried to find a way to frame it that didn't sound like he was outright telling Craig that he was missing the picture. "... I'm concerned that they're not able to handle it if the pressure really kicks in. Rachel was at the verge of tearing her hair out over that _ambush_ last night. That was just one reporter. What happens if they manage to get more than just a confirmation on her name?"

"Is it just Rachel you're worried about in that capacity?"

"Of course not," Scott said. "It's just a matter of time before Nate gets drawn into it - and for as good as James has been so far, he's still a kid - and he's dealing with things _no one_ his age should have to juggle."

"Do you think they don't have the support they need?"

"Yes. _No_. I don't know. I- they all have their own ways of coping."

"Maybe you should bring them with you," Craig said. "I'd like to check in on them and get their outlook on how things are going."

"Fine."

"Then let's start with the one you brought with you today," Craig said. "Seeing as someone - and now a large part of the city - thought he might be sleeping with his sister-"

"They're _not._ No one knows she's his sister," Scott pointed out.

"No, they don't. I did notice that they managed to keep that to themselves even after Rachel lost control of keeping her name secret."

Craig got to his feet and started toward the door as Scott smirked to himself. There was some truth to that … they did put a stop to things once they knew for sure it had gone too far.

* * *

Partway through Scott's session, as James was surfing on his phone and texting with Billy, Tony, _and_ Nate, the door to Craig's office opened and Craig stepped out, doing his best to look welcoming as he smiled over at Storm and James. At first, James didn't pay him any attention - not openly anyhow, and it wasn't until Craig cleared his throat that he even looked up at him.

"You must be Scott's son," Craig said, and in a blink, James was on his feet - his phone in his pocket and a hand offered to shake - just as Scott would have expected of him.

"James," he said in response. "Nice to meet you."

"If you aren't too busy with whatever you're doing on the phone, your dad and I would like you to come and join us for a little bit."

James frowned. "Is he alright?"

Craig smiled a little warmer. "We're working on that. But we could use you with us for a few minutes - since you're here anyhow."

James glanced at Ororo, but didn't argue it one iota as he walked ahead of Craig to take a seat next to Scott. The look James gave Scott as he sat down was a clear, silent check in to make sure Scott was okay before James would pay attention to anyone outside of his dad.

"Thank you for joining us," Craig said, still looking warm and approachable. "I'd like to talk to you for a few minutes, if you don't mind. It can be difficult on children when they see their parents in need of help from a therapist. Considering the way things have been going for you in the last few months, I think it'd be reasonable to touch base … not just for your father's sake, but for yours as well."

James frowned slightly, then shook his head. "I'm _fine_ ," James said - and the expression Craig gave him was nearly accusatory for how dry it was - and for how often he'd heard the same kind of line from Scott. But James read that perfectly, too. "No, okay … I'm not 'fine', but I've already got a therapist. We're working on it."

"How often do you see your therapist?" Craig asked, notebook in hand.

James opened his mouth, then looked almost distracted as he glanced between Scott and Craig. "Twice a week since we moved."

"Really?" Scott said, turning James' way- obviously out of the loop on that front.

"Yeah," James said, turning fully to face his dad. "He said since he couldn't check in at coffee randomly, I needed to make more of an effort. I think he just wants his gossip, to be honest, but I'm going along with it anyhow."

"How are you handling being in the public eye so heavily after keeping a low profile for so long?" Craig asked, pleasantly surprised when James turned back his way - keeping an open posture and not blocking himself off.

"It's an adjustment," James admitted. "But I have a lot of help and a lot of coaching from Tony and Jan - and others."

"What about yesterday's impromptu interview?" Craig asked.

James kept an even expression and Craig could almost see the wheels turning as he decided on the direction for his answer. "I'm going to assume you're not fishing to ask if I'm actually sleeping with my _sister_ ," James said dryly. "For the record, I'm not. I've got a way to handle the temporary interest in the people I care about. So … I'm not happy, but it'll work out soon."

"Even the most experienced people have trouble predicting what the media will go for and what they won't."

"They follow a pattern," James said. "And I know what they want to report on."

Craig nodded to himself. "If you find that you need a different outlook-"

"I'll keep you in mind," James said. "As long as you don't slip on helping my dad."

"I won't," Craig said, doing a fine job of hiding the smile at how openly protective the kid was with a stranger. It wasn't that he didn't know - but it was still a nice thing to see in person. "Now, unless you had anything specific you wanted to address with your son-"

"No," Scott said, shaking his head quickly.

"Then, Scott, I think we've covered some good ground today. You know what you need to work on, and I'd like to hear some progress when I see you in a few days," Craig said. "If you're planning to do something with your son, then I won't keep you too long."

Scott blinked in mild surprise, but since Craig had just that week backed off to every other day for sessions, he figured this simply fit the pattern of needing less time. That in itself was nice to see, because it was a tangible way to show that he was making progress.

So, he didn't look the gift horse in the mouth. "Right. Thanks, Craig."

Craig smirked as he took a step back toward his reception area. "Remember what I said about broadening your pool of intel," he said - which had Ororo shooting Scott a questioning look, considering the warning. But Scott simply shrugged in response, still not convinced Craig was right about what to look for.

They left the appointment quietly, and as before, James climbed into the backseat without prompting, though now, at least Ororo knew what his plan was so she wasn't going to press for details that she knew already.

She and James had discussed it while Scott was in his counseling session, and Ororo was incredibly amused and _pleased_ with James' plan of action. So naturally, she helped him find the best way to implement it. Before Scott could pull himself out of his thoughts, they were pulling into a dealership with a whole line of shining new Mustangs.

"You're really going to do this, aren't you?" Scott asked as they came to a stop near the line.

"Hey. Don't look at me. Nate picked it."

"Yeah, but you're _paying_ for it. Pretty sure you should get a say," Scott said. "On _your_ car."

James shrugged and the two of them started to walk down the line, looking at all of them and taking in every detail that they could find … all of them were new, so none of them had any defects to speak of. But it wasn't until they reached the center of the line that they found two options that both of them were interested in, and by that time, the salesmen had started to come out.

The sales team offered the two of them a test drive before one of the salesmen recognized James … and within moments, they were getting an entirely different kind of level of attention. Suddenly the sales staff _knew_ that they wouldn't be rolling the dice with someone on financing - not with what they'd seen about the kid in the news. Just like that, James and Scott were trying not to look too amused as the salesmen _suggested_ that they look at the cars they had in the building - protected from the elements and obviously the ones with the most features, gadgets, and toys.

They test drove three of them before James looked over at Scott, who was starting to have trouble holding back the smile. "What do you think?" James asked. "I'm down to the Cobra and the black one."

"Definitely the Cobra," Scott said, finally allowing the smile to peek through, and with a nod, James turned toward the salesmen and they started up the paperwork. It only took a few phonecalls to arrange for things, and by the time the ink was dry, _Scott_ was listed as the owner since legally, James wasn't _quite_ there yet.

Ororo was outright grinning when she saw the two of them pull up next to her in the shining deep blue car - and Scott was matching her grin. "Try not to race too much," she advised, then turned toward James. "Don't worry. I won't say a word to anyone."

"Thanks, Aunt Ro," James replied before Ororo left them to get back on their own. James only drove far enough to stop and fill up the tank properly before he tossed Scott the keys. "Your turn."

"You sure you're ready to share that fast?" Scott asked, though he got out to change spots with him.

"Well … technically, it's _your_ car."

"On paper, sure," Scott said. "But so is the Jeep."

"Yeah, but … this one _won't_ be transferring to me on my birthday," James said.

Scott frowned at that. "James, tell me you bought this for yourself."

"I bought this for myself."

Scott watched him for a long moment. "I don't believe that."

"Belive what you want to believe," James said mildly. "I did buy it because I needed something a little zippier for going to work for a while."

"Uh huh."

"Why don' you just … see what this thing can actually _do_?" James suggested. "Please? I haven't finished the evasive driving course Tony has me going through and he wasn't amused when I told him I could just baja the Jeep straight through the middle of the track."

"How far are you on powerslides?" Scott asked dryly.

James closed one eye and held his hand out palm down and shook it lightly "meh. I can get more slide if I applied myself."

"Was that the day Stark was carrying on about burned out tires?"

"Maybe." James smirked. "But …I've been holding on to that to scare the crap out of Nate? So …"

"Yeah. Don't do it on the open road, okay?"

"Not unless I have to."

"'Have to' means if you're actively evading a _weapons program_ , James."

"Fine," he said in a heavy, put upon sigh that made it difficult for Scott to keep from smiling.

Scott was chuckling under his breath as he reached over to turn the radio on, fiddling with it until he found a station that he liked, though that only lasted a song or two before the news broke in - and Scott nearly ran off the road as Jameson came on _defending_ Rachel.

" _There is no reason that in this day and age in this great country that we should even be_ considering _discussing holding an innocent young woman responsible for the actions of her parents. Rachel Summers, as far as we know, has apparently been a card-carrying Avenger for a number of years. She's worked along side_ Captain America _for cry-eye, and my competitors are alluding to some kind of inherited guilt?_ _That is not the foundation on which this country was built. You cannot hang an innocent person for crimes that they haven't committed. Now … I know what my competition has to say about mutants and the X-Men in particular, but has anyone taken the time to actually think about is being said and spread around like gospel? Mutants are dangerous - sure, but the ones living in this country anyhow are supposed to be protected by the same rights that the rest of us have."_

Jameson's rant paused, just long enough for the host of the show to ask a question that had Scott pulling over to listen.

" _We have to register weapons,"_ the co-host said. '' _Many of these mutants have untold power that can be dangerously used against innocent people. Don't you think they should need to account for that?"_

" _Listen,"_ Jameson said, and the building heat was apparent in his tone. " _There is no doubt that there are some potentially dangerous mutants out there, somewhere. But when was the last time that a mutant purposefully commited a crime that you heard the outcome? I'm not just asking about the crime itself. I mean the trip through the justice system afterward. Every time a mutant is so much as suspected in this country - and not of a crime, either, just suspected for being a mutant - every time, the MRD is called to the scene, usually after the police apprehend them on trumped up charges, or worse still, no charges at all. And every time the MRD takes a mutant into custody, we never hear a word about it afterward. They disappear. There's no trial, no judge or jury - they just vanish."_

" _Prosecution of the crimes can take time-"_

" _Then they have a right to a speedy trial, not a right to sit in purgatory in some cell that no one knows the location of or the conditions they're being held under. These mutants are American citizens. They have rights. You and I and every red-blooded American have our rights outlined for us in the Constitution, and rounding up people based on a single mutated gene and locking them away in camps or prisons out of sight and against any of the laws we uphold in this country is the kind of thing you'd expect out of Nazi Germany, not_ our _country. It's bigoted, ignorant, and un-American. And I'll tell you something else, too ...the world never knew all that the X-Men did, and they've been gone for too long."_

" _Wait. You covered the original group yourself. They were terrorists-"_

" _My god, what do they teach you to get a journalism degree these days?"_ JJ interrupted. " _Do your own damn research, kid. Anyone with an ounce of talent can search the public record for a_ glimpse _of what that team was doing. Search the record of the Friends of Humanity investigation. My office sent a slew of FOIA requests and even with only half approved, you can see for yourself what that team was doing - and why they were targeted. I even printed a damn retraction, not that anyone remembers that when it doesn't fit their narrative. No journalistic integrity, the lot of you."_

" _I wasn't trying to suggest-"_

" _The hell you weren't. Don't come on my show with half the facts again. Do your homework. And once you've got your background,_ then _you can talk to me about the new group. These kids - the kids of the original X-Men - and we don't know for sure which ones are which outside of the_ two _who have now been unmasked - they're filling a gap to protect innocent people from their own government, and they're doing it within the boundaries of the law - more so even than their parents did, considering their official Avengers status and connections to law enforcement through that team. Don't you_ dare _call what those kids are trying to do anything but what it is."_

" _There's some debate on that, Mr. Jameson. Some people are calling them the same things they called their parents."_

" _Consider the source,"_ Jameson cut in. " _The people calling them terrorists are the same ones running and profiting off of the MRD. I've been watching these new X-Men since they made their debut, and you know what I've seen? Let's start with the girl in the news this morning: Prestige - that's Rachel Summers for those of you just tuning in. That young lady and her teammates have been protecting life. Not just mutant life, but human life as well. In fact, my team has been keeping tally, and what we've found is that the X-Men have been protecting humans at a ratio of nearly two-to-one when compared to the mutants they've been saving. On the other hand, our own police force has been ignoring violent crimes up to and including murder against mutants for_ decades _."_

James and Scott were staring at the radio as Jameson continued - and he did, for nearly fifteen minutes.

" _What do you suggest as a reasonable course of action, Mr. Jameson?_ " the co-host asked in a clearly irritated tone - a challenge that Jameson rose to beautifully.

" _I'm no authority on how to handle public safety-"_

"Here we go," Scott said under his breath.

" _... and there are some who would say it's a crazy idea, but maybe, just maybe, we can stop treating everyone different from us like they're the damned enemy. Whatever happened to innocent until proven guilty? How can you take that - one of our most basic principles - and twist it against kids working to protect innocents missed by the Avengers and others by accusing them of being terrorists? Do yourself a favor and look - and I mean really look at what the original X-Men did. And not just what my office put out. You don't get an easy cop out piggybacking off of my work alone. You'll see a lot of reports on property damage and fighting against unlawful arrest by the MRD and others, but you'll also see a lot of stories of lives saved in dramatically impossible circumstances."_

" _But the Phoenix-"_

" _Let me remind you that one of the X-Men sacrificed himself to stop the Phoenix from killing all of us," Jameson said hotly, cutting him off. "If the MRD had an entity like that at their fingertips, they'd let the mutants and everyone else burn out of sheer arrogance and bigotry. The Friends of Humanity had records on what they wanted the damn thing for too if they could figure out the right way to pressure Jean Summers. There are years of records on that thing. I'm getting tired of repeating myself on the state of journalism; you can't just waltz into a story like some doe-eyed…"_ From there, the hour turned into JJ's lecture on the laziness he saw in the new generation of reporters.

"Dad," James said quietly when the program shifted to a rant and still, Scott was staring at the radio. "Are you okay? What just happened?"

"I just … I … did you hear all of that or did I just have a stroke?" Scott asked, which was enough to get James to crack a smile.

"If you had one, I did too, and we are _super_ in sync if that's the case … shared hallucinations and all."

Scott nodded, almost numbly.

"Do you want me to drive?" James asked, but that seemed to prompt Scott back into moving.

"No, I've got it," Scott said, then pulled himself the rest of the way out of his thoughts by peeling out on his way back onto the road. They stopped in Salem Center to pick up pizza, though since it was Bobby's night to cook and none of the Summers kids ever really did more than taste whatever Bobby came up with out of courtesy before hitting pizza anyhow. To finish the last leg, Scott tossed the key fob to James. "You should drive it."

"I will," James agreed, and as soon as they were settled in, he repeated the same move Scott had made getting on the road earlier, which amazingly had Scott laughing to himself as they burnt out.

When they got to the school, however, Nate was the first out of the door in pure disbelief. "You did _not_ just go buy this thing!" he said, gesturing at the shining sportscar. " _You even got it in blue!_ That's so not your color!"

"Oh, yeah," James said casually, turning to look at it as if he hadn't noticed that it was exactly Nate's favorite shade of royal-navy. "It had the features I wanted. Color didn't really matter much."

But that had Scott turning toward him fully. There were four other mustangs on the lot with exactly the same features, but this was the only blue one that was there. And he knew James was up to something, but he wasn't going to bust him if it was what he thought it was.

"Wanna test drive it?" James asked, holding up the fob for Nate, who snatched it out of his hand in a blink.

"Be back in a few," Nate called out to Scott.

"Don't get pulled over," Scott said as the boys climbed in. "You still don't have your license."

"I won't," Nate promised, grinning broadly. "We're just going to go down the road and back." He started the car and just began laughing at the roar of the engine. He was clearly enjoying himself as he ran his hand over the wheel and revved the engine. "Really? You're going to let me drive your new baby?"

"Hey. You picked it out. You should drive it," James said, and before he could renege, Nate put it in drive and the two of them headed off with Nate laughing delightedly all the while.

Both of them were grinning as they drove, and Nate was obviously soaking it in with every turn and take off. James didn't interrupt Nate as he soaked up his drive, and because he didn't interrupt him, it wasn't until they were back at the school before Nate had to shake his head. "This is the coolest car ever," Nate said.

James tipped his head with one eye closed. "I wouldn't go that far."

"Well … you said to buy now and drive now," Nate said. "If it was _ever_ it'd be a classic."

"Again … though that has some truth, this still isn't the coolest buy now drive now."

Nate frowned. "Then why'd you go with my pick?"

"I told you you could pick it," James said simply as Nate turned off the engine looking perfectly vexed by his big brother, then dropped the fob in his hand.

"Well what would _you_ have picked?"

James smiled. "I'd have gone with a McLaren," he said, grinning at him just before he got out and then leaned on the roof, watching Nate's shocked expression. "But this will work for now."

"Nuh-uh, wait. You _never said it could be a super car_."

"I never said it couldn't, either."

"Oh, _come on_!" Nate shouted, jogging to catch up to where James was already, smiling to himself, though when he caught up to James at the door, he was grinning again. "If you get that, you _have_ to let me drive it."

"We'll see," James said, laughing as they got into the house. "I just bought this one, after all."

"Yeah, and you're _sharing_."

"Needed something good to share," James said. "Maybe you'll step back enough to get all the time you need for your license now."

"Hey. I've been busy-"

"Yeah. I know. The teams and football practice … and soon school will start, too. You're running out of time to work on it."

Nate stared at James for a moment. "Please tell me you didn't buy this just so I could get my license."

"No. I bought it because I need something else _and_ you needed motivation to get your license."

"You dorks missed out on the pizza," Rachel said. "All because you were playing with cars."

"Oh darn, we'll have to go get some more," Nate said, then held his hand out to James. "I'll drive."

"Fine by me," James agreed, which, though Nate was smiling, he was also watching his brother a little more suspiciously.

"Is this the part where you let me really enjoy it then won't let me touch it at all once I get my license?" Nate asked.

"No, this is the part where you get to drive more because you've been pushing to," James said.

"I thought I'd just get time in by using the Jeep," Nate said, but that got a full stop out of James.

"Absolutely not," he said seriously. "You're not touching the Jeep."

Nate turned, looking totally dumbfounded. "Wait. You'll let me drive the brand-new Mustang, but you don't want me to touch your rattle trap rust bucket of a Jeep? _What?_ "

"Fine," James said. "You cant drive the Mustang either."

"That is _not_ what I was after!" Nate said as the two brothers headed off with Scott and Rachel smirking after them.

"Do you know what he's got planned?" Rachel asked Scott.

"He didn't outright admit it more than what he just told Nate, but I think I've got a pretty good idea," Scott said. "And when you consider that I've driven it more than James has already - and in about ten minutes, Nate will have probably driven it more than him, too … I think we know what the story is."

Rachel smiled and shook her head. _He's totally going to blindside him … even if it's obvious._

 _Nate's been picking up cues from James on how_ not _to_ want _things_ , Scott told her. _Or at least to appear as if he doesn't want things. There's no way James didn't buy that car not intending for Nate to have it eventually._

 _Yeah, I know,_ Rachel agreed. _He asked if I needed a car not long after he started getting checks from Stark. He said he didn't want me stuck._

Scott smiled mildly. _He's just trying to take care of you two._

 _And you,_ Rachel added. _I know he's been 'upgrading' your truck when he pushes the Jeep on you._

 _Yeah. But now he's escalating,_ Scott pointed out. _Do me a favor and keep an eye on his generosity. I want to make sure he's not … I want to make sure he's alright._


	70. Oh, Hello.

As summer started to come to a close, the football team met up for more frequent pre-season practices, and the Summers family began discussions on when it was appropriate to head back into their home in Brooklyn. Scott wasn't _quite_ cleared to go back to just living with the kids, but he was eagerly looking forward to it all the same. He _missed_ the time he had with his family.

Nate was flirting with Kate as they waited for Scott to come pick them up from a joint football and cheerleading practice. Nate had been getting in a lot more driving time with his dad in the Mustang, but he was still _just short_ of what he needed to drive himself, and he was glad for the highway driving available to him going between the city and Westchester.

But at the moment, Nate's focus wasn't on football _or_ driving - and Kate didn't miss the crooked smile on Nate's face when he spotted the team's volunteer waterperson for the day. She came in with a bright smile and a deep Southern accent, cheerfully greeting both staff and students alike when she came to help the varsity team with food, water, and Gatorade for the duration of practice. He didn't even pretend he wasn't peeking into Ms. Hale's mind to see if she was still interested in his dad or not. And from what he saw, she _was_ ; she just thought Scott either wasn't ready to date or hadn't noticed that she was interested.

Nate smirked to himself as he realized, too, that Craig Hale, the consummate professional, hadn't given Annie anything to indicate he was working with Scott in a therapeutic capacity. So as far as Nate was concerned, everything was still a go and he was back in the matchmaking business.

It probably helped, too that Kate was already projecting exactly that his way. Along with a _Fiddler on the Roof_ song, because she thought she was funny.

Nate made it a point to stay by the water station when it came time for his dad to pick him up after practice, so Scott had to go to him, smirking when he saw Nate talking with Kate and thinking that was the reason he wasn't waiting at the parking lot like usual.

"Lose track of time?" Scott called out.

Kate smirked and leaned over to kiss Nate before he called out, "Sure."

Scott shook his head but came to stand beside the two of them all the same. "Alright, you're not saying goodbye _forever_ ," he said. "Hi, Kate."

"Hi, Scott," she sang out happily. "We're planning and plotting. Give us a minute, okay?"

Scott chuckled and shook his head. "I'm pretty sure you don't need any more plots, Kate."

"Um, of course I do. Like, for example, did you know America _finally_ admitted to having a crush? She's just waiting for the lucky girl to get through some family drama."

_Wow, Kate. Way to give it away._

_Oh, whatever. You know I'm right. Your sister won't relax enough to even_ look _at dating until you're all on solid ground. Especially now that half the world thinks she and James are doing the deed._

_So you're just gonna lay that on my poor dad, huh?_

_Motivation, Nate. It's called motivation. Here, Scott, your daughter has prospects she's not related to. Please move on with your life so she can move on with hers._

_You're insane, you know that?_

_And yet you still love me. Weirdo._

Scott shook his head, smiling to himself at the familiar silence of telepathic conversation. "Don't mind me," he said as he went to fill up a plastic cup of water - and nearly stopped when he saw Nate's history teacher, Ms. Hale, coming back from a trip to her van where she was putting away some of the coolers to give to the next teacher that would be helping the team.

"Oh!" Ms. Hale stopped and then broke into a smile. "Mr. Mueller. It's good to see you."

Scott barely resisted the urge to look toward Nate, though he did project a quiet, _I know what you're doing,_ his way. Still, he smiled at Ms Hale as he filled one cup and handed it to her and then filled one for himself. "I hope my son isn't giving you a hard time loitering here, Ms. Hale."

"Please, call me Annie," she said, then shook her head, smiling a little more as she hid behind the see-through plastic cup and drank the water in it.

"Then I'm going to have to ask you to call me Scott." He smiled a little to himself before he gave Nate a warning look, hoping he'd go easy and get the hint to gather himself up and get ready to _go_. But instead, Nate seemed to settle in for the show - pointedly taking a slow drink of his water as he held his father's gaze. "How did you get wrangled into bringing water for these troublemakers?"

"We all volunteer to help. Half of the social studies department are coaches, and the other half chips in where we can." Annie smiled a little more warmly at him.

"Must be a tight group," Scott said, blatantly ignoring the fact that he could see Nate and Kate grinning at whatever they were projecting to each other.

Annie smiled widely. "All the faculty tend to look out for each other."

"Yeah," Scott said. "I know the feeling."

"Oh? What is it that you do?" Annie asked conversationally - not at all prepared for Scott to pause over such a simple question.

"I… haven't worked in a while. Retired early to take care of my kids."

Annie's smile warmed, though she pointed out, "You don't half look old enough to retire."

"Well, I didn't get benefits, so I suppose that wasn't the right …" He shrugged. "I've been lucky. Wealthy extended family and a very generous will…" He let the sentence hang there; usually, that was enough for people. As always, he had a set response to the questions he was used to getting.

"Well, I think it's wonderful that you're raising them," Annie told him. "I already told you last time I saw you: Nate speaks _very_ highly of you." She smirked. "I have nieces and nephews. I know what a full-time job it can be."

"It's not that intensive anymore," Scott said.

"No, Nate's the youngest, isn't he? He speaks highly of his sister and brother as well."

"Yes, he's the youngest," Scott agreed, though he hadn't expected her to have been paying attention to the kids that closely. Most people didn't.

Annie flushed when he looked surprised. "I … well, I like to keep up with what my students are doing."

"I noticed that last year, actually. I just didn't realize it reached that far beyond the classroom. It's refreshing."

Annie's smile lit up. "My family and my students mean the world to me."

"They're lucky to have you."

"Thank you." Annie flushed but tried to cover for it by tucking her hair behind her ear. "So, if you don't mind my asking, what does a stay-at-home father do when he's facing an empty nest?"

"I … have no idea," Scott replied honestly, thinking of his recent conversation with Craig. He somehow wasn't surprised that the man's sister thought along the same lines.

"Don't want to go back to your old job?" she asked sympathetically.

Scott hedged. "Not exactly," he said. "A lot has changed since I was involved at my last job."

"I imagine," Annie said. "If it's anything like teaching, we're always getting new curricula every year, it feels like."

"In some ways, it's very much like that, and in others … it's the same old tune."

Annie nodded, then started to very slowly smile as she set her cup down. "So…mechanic?" she guessed. "I'm not getting very many clues here. But cars are always updating and always the same somehow."

Scott tried and failed to find a reasonable way to answer her - especially since to date, _no one_ had pressed this far into the conversation before. "I … can't really talk about it until things are solidified," he said finally. "I hate to be so vague …"

"Mmm." Annie nodded, losing some of her teasing smile. "It's alright. My daddy was military." She gestured to her own face to mirror his. "I know that heavy look."

"Still, it doesn't help with conversation," Scott said, his hand on the back of his neck for a moment.

"That's alright," Annie assured him. "I'm the opposite. Can't stop talking about the job…" She tucked her hair behind her ears again.

"I don't mind hearing about it."

"Oh." Annie blushed again. "Well, then, that's nice."

"Are you going to be at the next practice?" Nate called out.

Scott shot Nate such a _look_ , especially when Annie turned an even more delicate shade of pink. Still, though, Annie said, "Oh, well, I can stop by…"

"I just … I finished that book you loaned me," Nate said, grinning broadly.

At that, Annie did break out of her nervousness into a smile. "Oh, did you like it?" she asked earnestly. "Hercules Poirot is my _favorite_."

"Couldn't put it down," Nate answered, still grinning from ear to ear.

"I'll have to recommend more, then. That one's the best known, but honestly, the little one-shots are better mysteries. Less drama, more detective work."

"I don't know if I can handle _less_ drama," Nate said with a quiet laugh. "But I do love putting clues together."

"Oh, well, if you want more drama, same author, I can do that too," Annie said, her eyes twinkling.

"Great," Nate said. "I'll bring it for you next time if you'll be around."

"Perfect. I'll bring _And Then There Were None_."

Scott shook his head at the pair of them, perfectly aware of what Nate was up to, though he didn't say anything until he'd said a polite goodbye to Annie and dropped Kate off at home. He was even shielding his thoughts from Nate so the kid didn't know what punishment to expect.

The whole way back to Westchester, Scott kept trying to decide where to even _start_ , and several times, he opened his mouth to say something, then got irritated and stopped - sure that if he said what was on his mind just then, he'd have to pull the car over. So it wasn't until they were through the door all the way back in Westchester that Scott turned Nate's way. "You," he said slowly but sharply, "are a _terrible_ liar."

"I … read the book," Nate answered, wide-eyed but grinning in spite of himself.

" _One week_ ," Scott said. "One week of home and practices and that's it. No dates - single, double, or group. No visits."

"Does that include Avengers practices?"

"That depends on what Steve says when I tell him you _lied to my face_ ," Scott said dryly.

Nate held his arms out wide. "What did I lie about?"

"From the _start_ , I asked why you weren't at the parking lot," Scott said.

"Um … it is _hot_. I needed water, Dad."

"Uh-huh." Scott shook his head. "Stop trying to set me up, Nate. That poor woman is going to think I'm only talking to her because of _you_."

"What did you try this time?" James asked as he headed past them to grab some popcorn to go with the movie he and Billy were watching. For as desperate as Nate and Kate were getting to make the very most out of every second, James and Billy were getting downright _comfortable._ "And how badly did it blow up in your face?"

"I didn't _try_ anything," Nate said, though James snorted out a laugh at that. "It's not my fault that Dad actually _kept talking to her_. On his own. Without prompting."

James frowned at Nate, then turned toward Scott for confirmation. He didn't say anything as he looked between them, but Scott wasn't confirming or denying _squat._

"She kept asking questions; he kept answering … and _complimenting her_ ," Nate said. "Polite adult flirting. Seriously."

Again, James looked between them, and when he saw the look on Scott's face, he shook his head and reached into his pocket to hand Nate a fifty with a sigh and not a word spoken.

" _James_." Scott said sharply as he looked between his two boys. "Really?"

"Hey, I said you _wouldn't_ carry on with the pretty history teacher," James said.

"I wasn't _carrying-_ " Scott passed a hand over his face. "I have _one_ friendly conversation…"

"Hey Dad?" James said, and he waited just long enough for Scott to look up at him. "Nate's not the only bad liar."

Scott shot James the driest look he could manage. "Shut up."

"Love you too," James called back, simply headed back to the living room, popcorn in hand where Billy was trying hard to keep from laughing _too_ loudly while still thoroughly enjoying getting more comfortable with the Summers family.

* * *

Nate was _sure_ to have the book Ms. Hale had loaned out to him ready to go at the next practice - even before he'd gotten ready to go all the way. He had set it down and picked it up at least half a dozen times in the course of prepping to go, and then he went out of his way to show Scott that he had the book. He threw his pads in the trunk of the car, and tried hard to keep his foot from jiggling all the way there - constantly checking the clock and watching traffic as he drove.

Scott watched him with a hint of amusement, even if he still wasn't happy with the little trick he'd tried to pull last time. But when they finally got to the field, Nate hopped out and grabbed his bag from the backseat - then ran back to grab the book - then ran back again to hand the keys to his dad.

"I'll see you after practice," Scott said, shaking his head as Nate grinned and rushed for the field. Scott shook his head and got in the car to head off. He wasn't about to sit around and watch practice when he knew Nate was trying to keep him there to make Ms Hale uncomfortable, so instead, since he had a little time on his hands, he headed back to the house in Brooklyn. He'd needed to spend some time there anyhow - make sure everything was still in order and that nothing was tampered with. It was still their home, after all.

He parked the Mustang out front and walked into the house, thoroughly scanning it the whole while, and when he looked around, there was plenty that needed to be picked up. It wasn't that they'd left the place a mess when they left at the beginning of summer … they just hadn't been as meticulous as Scott would have liked in the big rush to go to Westchester.

So, to ease his mind and give himself something to do while Nate was at practice, he started to clean up the kitchen. He needed the time to think anyhow. Rachel was coping well enough with nosy reporters, though Scott wondered if she'd simply redirected some of them telepathically - which would be trouble if that was the case. On top of that, for as cozy as Billy and James were when both boys were in Westchester, James was in the middle of prepping for his trip with Tony to go _overseas_. So much was changing … and with everyone preoccupied with their own lives, he found himself thinking over all that his therapist had been suggesting.

He was partway through scrubbing down the sink - just to do it - when he got a text from Rabbi Cohen asking if he had time for coffee. With a smirk, Scott agreed and started prepping for a nice, long coffee talk. He'd given himself exactly half an hour to clean up before Toby said he'd be coming over.

He really should have expected the phone call from Nate.

"Dad, I forgot my knee pads. Can you _please_ bring them for me? I don't have time to come back for them and-"

"Nate, you're not subtle."

" _Dad_ , I'm not kidding! I was so busy making sure I had the book, and focusing on my freeway driving on the way and just … anxious about this practice … I forgot my pads! I'm serious - and I'm okay without them for warm ups, but I can't be late to _practice_."

Scott sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he listened to Nate plead. "Where are they?"

"In the trunk. I _know_ I put them in the trunk before we left Westchester. I'm … 95% sure."

There was a shrill whistle in the background before Scott could hear the coach shouting at Nate to get in line for warmups. "Alright," Scott said. "I'll be there as quick as I can."

"Thanks, Dad!" Nate called back before he hung up, leaving Scott grimly looking at the phone. There was no way that this wasn't intentional. He turned toward the entry, half grumbling to himself already. If he was _wrong,_ the kid would have earned the laps the coach would press for.

Scott headed down the front stoop and popped the trunk to the Mustang, where, lo and behold - the pads were there in Nate's big mesh bag. Scott shook his head, double-checked that they were all there, then pulled it out of the trunk. There was no way he'd make it through traffic at this time of day.

He checked his watch, and as it turned out, he met up with Toby at the corner. He gestured to the bag and shrugged. "I have to get this to Nate," he said with a shrug. "Raincheck?"

"Please," Toby laughed, though the sparkle in his eyes betrayed the rabbi's amusement all the same. But Scott honestly didn't have time to get involved in Toby Cohen's teasing, even if he missed it more than he'd admit to. He actually _did_ have to get the gear to Nate. Especially when he knew he was on a timer, too. He just wondered if Nate had managed to convince his teacher to show up at the _start_ of practice or not.

After a short trip on the subway and a few blocks of rushing to get to the football field, Scott found himself running to meet Nate at the sidelines - and Nate _did_ look believably relieved as he took the gear and _quickly_ started putting it on - with Scott helping him just to rush it along before the coach could start getting after Nate. He would have earned it for letting something so big slip his mind …

"Hello, Mr. Meuller," a now familiar voice rang out.

Then again … Scott knew now for sure that it was no slip of the mind, and he took a moment to project to Nate, _An extra week - and no date this weekend._

 _It really was an honest mistake_ , Nate argued.

 _Focus on your game, Summers_ , Scott countered, though he was smirking for more than one reason - and their exchange had only taken less than a second. "Hello, Ms. Hale. I hope you're not being held up too much by my son's antics."

"I only just got here," Annie replied, smiling to herself. "It's nice to see you still dropping everything to help him out."

"It's my job," Scott replied with an easy smirk. "I thought he'd grown out of forgetting vital things though."

"Not if he was worried about his sweetheart waitin' on him," she shot back. "I did happen to notice that the cheerleaders are havin' a practice of their own this mornin'."

"Yeah, I noticed that too," Scott said, shaking his head.

"They really are sweet, if you're concerned. I know the other teachers will complain about the physicality, and honestly, they _are_ a bit young by most folks' standards to be that involved, but they are very sweet with each other," Annie said.

"His sister would have put him in the ground by now if he was thinking about her in the wrong way," Scott said, smirking at his own joke.

"Well, I don't think he'd be stupid enough to say anything, even if he _was_ off base. But it's pretty clear it's not just a physical thing. He's smitten. He doesn't have that _look_ , you know? LIke he's waiting for the next new thing?"

"Believe me, I know," Scott said. "Any of my old friends who knew me at his age have been helpfully comparing us."

"Oh, have they, now?" Annie asked with a little smile. "Were you a quarterback, too?"

"Ah, _no_. But I met his mother when we were in high school." He shrugged softly. "I know what that look means."

"That's sweet."

Scott nodded quietly, not sure what to make of how _genuinely_ Annie cared about the kids she taught, down to their personal lives. "Yes, well, it would be sweeter if I didn't have to come down here after they got caught under the bleachers _again_."

"Honestly. I thought they'd have found a new spot by now. That's just askin' for trouble." She tipped her chin up and gave him a side-long glance. "Or attention."

"Knowing Kate, it's probably a little bit of both. She's just as likely to find trouble on purpose as he is."

"Her parents seemed involved," Annie said. "I didn't think she'd be the one to _ask_ for trouble with them."

"She walks a fine line between being in trouble with her mother and making her father turn purple," Scott said, smirking.

"Her favorite color for a few reasons then."

"I used to live in the same apartment building as her parents. I heard every one of the excuses." He shook his head, smiling. "That does make it easier, though - knowing her family. She won't cross the red lines in the sand, even if she'll joyfully waltz as close to them as she can."

"And Nate?" Annie asked with a smile.

"Like I said - his sister would kill him before I did. Her first serious date went home with a limp when she realized what he was thinking." He smirked. "My kids know how to give and demand respect."

"Sounds like they had a strong example to learn from. Maybe a few." Annie smiled warmly but didn't mention the fact that she recognized Kate's parents. Both of them. She'd just kept that little nugget to herself, even from the other teachers that _hadn't_ been invested enough to pay attention once their tenure was in. Those kids deserved a normal life, no matter who their parents were, and she was glad to see that at least one of them had found a way to do that with Scott's family. "Lucky kids."

Scott nodded his agreement, letting the conversation lull long enough that he could _feel_ Nate giving him a telepathic side-eye. He responded with a dry look, but on the other hand, he knew for a fact Nate would keep this up until there was at least _some_ movement one way or another. And considering that Scott didn't want to shut her down, he decided on his direction and let out a quiet breath. "I don't suppose you'd be open to coming to the first game of the season with me."

"Well, Mr. Meuller, that's just right around the corner. Are you sure you won't be making it a family affair instead?"

"His brother and sister both have plans, though I'm not sure if they'll both be going to the game. At any rate, if they do, I'm very sure they'll be relieved not to have a chaperone," Scott said dryly.

"I suppose if you're advocating contributing to delinquency, I might have to think it over, but if it's not _just_ that … I'd like to see the game with you."

Scott couldn't help but chuckle. "Then I look forward to watching our team trump the Knights."

Annie was smiling brightly. "They sure will." She looked over her shoulder, clearly looking for a way to exit gracefully. "I suppose I can leave that book for Nate with you, can't I?"

"I'll make sure he gets it," Scott promised, glad for the polite excuse as well.

* * *

"Hey. Come on, kid, we're on vacation," Tony said, reaching over to close James' textbook, and then went so far as to pull the laptop away from him too.

"I thought this was a tech conference," James countered, to which Tony more or less waved him off.

"Same thing," he said. "But your papers are almost finished _anyhow_ , and you have plenty of time to get them in to beat me out, age wise." Tony blew out a breath and tried to get James to follow his example. "Take a break."

James smirked. "I think I'd rather finish my paper when it's relatively quiet."

"And I think that's the wrong attitude to go into your first international tech conference with _me_ after our big announcement."

"And I'm _telling you_ that working on something that feels concrete will have me much further away from a _panic attack_ than ruminating on the fact that I'm going to be with _you_ in the spotlight the whole time."

"Learn to strut," Tony said. "It'll make your life easier."

"I highly doubt that."

Tony reached over to absently pat his arm as he looked out the window of the jet. "It's alright. You're allowed to be wrong sometimes. Like now."

"I'll keep that in mind for when I _am_ wrong," James replied, though he did acquiesce simply because he trusted Tony and _knew_ that the only times he'd ever asked James to _stop_ studying was when James was in danger of getting more tense than he should be.

Pepper and Happy were just across the aisle from the two of them, not far from where Jan was working on some design work … and near her was Peter Parker, who had fallen asleep within the first ten minutes of the flight. But James … wasn't relaxed enough to do the same.

"Kid. It's a long flight. _Try_ to relax for it," Tony advised. "Plenty of time to be a stress ball later."

"Sure, I'll just _turn it off_ ," James said thickly, which at least got Tony to laugh.

"Your Dad's rubbing off on you," Tony said as he settled in, loosening up his tie. "You'll be alright though. You're _my_ kid too. I got your back."

"I know," James said, then let out a breath as he did as Tony advised and put his laptop and books away. A few moments later, after a little more joking and teasing from Tony, James had his feet kicked up in the chair next to him as he twisted himself sideways in his seat with his back against the fuselage. "Happy now?"

"More happy, yeah," Tony agreed, then reached over to clap a hand on James' shoulder as he took out his phone to text Billy.

Tony smirked to himself after he saw that James was finally relaxing after a little while and he got up to sit with Jan while the kid was doing alright. He knew James didn't want to feel like he was being watched all the time, but … he was going to need to get used to it. Even if he hadn't been on deck to step into Tony's shoes until well down the line, he'd stepped out as an X-Man and an Avenger … it was just a matter of time. And that was _without_ factoring in that he was involved with Genoshan royalty- which … that was going to be a massive headline when that finally broke. Especially after the incredibly off-base articles of speculation ran regarding James and _Rachel._ Tony was also happy that the kid had fallen into the wise habit of trusting him when it mattered and had learned how to handle the press like Tony and Jan had taught him.

He was, however, _grateful_ that James had the paranoia that Scott had fostered in those kids down to a science, though for how far James took it, he wondered if some of that wasn't genetic as well. Tony himself had never had much use for anything close to propriety when he was James' age, and to be honest, Tony still wasn't sure how it was that the kid had kept his actual love life under wraps for the press. _Both_ of those boys seemed to be naturals at knowing when to keep it professional - _mostly._

If anyone in the paparazzi had seen the display Tony had heard about from the _other_ X-Men when Billy got bent out of shape over Tyler Creed or if they had any idea of what was going on during the failed kidnapping … that would have made the papers in a heartbeat. But they were lucky there. They wouldn't be the next time something threatened one or the other. And Tony _knew_ James would get just as riled up if it was Billy in danger.

But until then, Tony planned to continue quietly teaching the kid how to handle the press and the public, and everything that went with it. He thought James was doing pretty good, all things considered. Especially when he factored in that James had been, in fact, doing the exact opposite for his whole life.

But Tony had faith that the kid could _adjust_. He just hoped he adjusted quickly before the news picked up on his involvement with Billy because _that_ … he knew that was going to be something to draw public interest. He also knew that eventually, it was coming, and _both_ boys better be ready when it hit.

For now, though … the weekend was looming with a tech conference, and though Tony was sure most of it would be a little boring for both of them, it was also something that needed to be done - get him out there, get him talking to other geniuses and people at the top of their fields … and get the buzz on his favorite genius rattling around the science community. Jan gave Tony's knee a little squeeze, silently telling him it was going to be _great_. It was just one weekend - they could do one weekend.

* * *

And while James was in Europe working the tech circuit and making headlines with Tony, Billy turned his attention toward Kate and America. America was always up for a good time, and in their own way the three of them formed a little support group … even if America didn't want to admit it. She was entirely preoccupied with trying to get Rachel to see sense, after all.

It was just so … _obvious_ that she was hooked. Which was all kinds of good teasing material for Kate and Billy. Even if America didn't find the humor in the t-shirt Kate had printed for her with a star-spangled Phoenix. Or the insistence that she join their little clique group-therapy style and state her name and how long she'd been hung up on a Summers before she was allowed to grab a slice of pizza.

But Kate's little siblings thought it was hilarious. And so did Clint. So in the spirit of teasing, the kids were cleared out to give the support group room to air their grievances. Or pine. One or the other.

"If you two are just going to be _loco_ all night, then I'm going to find better things to do," America said, not at all appreciating the effort that her friends had gone through to tease her.

"Better things like Rachel Summers?" Billy asked with a straight face that only lasted as long as it took Kate to break down laughing.

"She's had a breakthrough! She's going to go for it!" Kate laughed along with Billy - the two of them holding each other up for support as America glowered at them.

"I'll just _go_ -"

"Please don't," Billy said, smiling as he wiped a tear from the corner of his eyes. "You can't go because I have to and then you'll leave Kate here … all alone and _sad_ since her Summers is still grounded."

"Wait, I thought we were going to do a thing," Kate said, losing some of her smile. "What happened? Did you crack and decide to magically appear in James' room?"

Billy pointed her way with his eyebrows raised. "Not a bad idea. Don't tempt me. No. I promised my parents that I'd come see them before the semester started. They've been really busy with everything … new head of government and all that … but they don't have time to leave, even if Mom made it clear she thought we were better off here for now."

"There an uprising?" America asked, suddenly interested in the politics of the tiny island nation.

"More like a few vocal people who are surprisingly charismatic that want to keep with my Grandfather's outlook," Billy said. "They don't have anywhere near the following my mother has, though … and if they tiptoe any closer to that line, I'm sure she'll handle it. But right now, after we screwed up their kidnapping, she wants us to be where they are _not_."

"Hate to break it to you, but they tried to capture you _here_ ," America pointed out.

"Yeah, but now they're being monitored and most of them are trying to win Genosha _first_ ," Billy said, then shrugged. "As much as I hate to admit it, it's right back to a very big, high stakes game of chess."

He'd barely gotten the words out of his mouth before the front door rattled with the force of a gust of wind. A muted giggle followed the shave and a haircut knock and Billy pointed to the door. "Tommy and Mia."

"She _was_ who I was waiting for," Kate said before she popped up from her spot on the couch and headed for the door. "I didn't realize that meant our support group was being broken up."

Billy smiled her way and gestured widely. "Well … technically, I don't know if I qualify for the group … my guy isn't an _actual_ Summers, after all." He grinned at America. "He totally is for the purposes of getting you to _admit_ your big fat giant neon sign crush though. And most other things … but …"

"But we have places to be," Tommy finished, then smiled at America tightly. "You can get Mia home later, right?"

"Oh sure," America said, rolling her eyes.

"Mia doesn't _neeeeeeed_ your charity, Miss America," Mia said before she kissed Tommy then teleported over to drape her arm over America's shoulders. "But I appreciate the offer."

The twins shared a look and after a silent countdown, both of them disappeared - one by zipping out of the door and the other with a spell that left the three girls alone with a large pizza and the living room to themselves.

"So," Mia said, tipping her chin up and looking more like her mother as she drew upon her most regal expression. "How tight is your babysitters schedule? Or am I too young and not powerful enough to throw my hat in the ring to save you from Hydra guys … or girls? Whatever. I didn't ask that part." By the time she'd finished her teasing question, she'd dropped onto the couch and grinned up at Kate like the honest troublemaker she was.

"I don't _need_ a babysitter," Kate replied, rolling her eyes, though she did drop down next to Mia.

"Could have fooled me," America teased, glad to have some footing to pick on - _finally_.

"It's not like it's the first time Hydra has tried _and failed_ to kidnap me," Kate said, tipping her nose in the air and doing her best to look entirely above it all. "And honestly Nate probably over reacted a little bit but … can we please talk about what's _important_?"

"More important than protecting your virtue?" Mia asked. "Because by the way you and Nate talk about me and _my_ romantic life, you'd think that chastity and virtue are the most important things in your whole _world_."

"That's because you're a _sophomore_ this year," Kate said. "And he's with _me_ in our senior year. What happens if he decides to go to college?"

Mia looked irritated as Kate started her argument, but by the time she'd finished, she broke down laughing after just a beat or two. "Then I should say the same thing to you about your innocent little Summers that you're corrupting! He's got another year left, cradle robber!"

"Not even _close_ to the same thing. But nice try," America said with a smirk before she turned back to Kate and grabbed another slice of pizza. "You excited about your last year in school?"

"Ohmygosh. _So_ ready for this year," Kate said with a grin, shifting gears in an instant - at least for the time being. America _always_ seemed to intuit how best to direct Kate so she could gush about what she had on her mind. " This is going to be the best year ever, and even though I am totally looking forward to my _last season cheerleading_ , and watching my _hunk_ of a sweetheart be amazing, I am even _more_ ready to just … graduate already and go fight Hydra _full time_."

"No college?" Mia asked, looking disappointed.

"Um … not at first anyhow." Kate looked up to see her dad giving her a look in the kitchen. This had been an ongoing light argument and on seeing that he was eavesdropping or at the least, lipreading, she had to straighten up and pull together her best, most hard to fight argument. "I mean ... it's not like colleges are going to have classes that will be useful when I'm a full time superhero anyhow. I don't remember seeing anywhere that lets you major in being Awesome." Clint gave her a dry look from the kitchen. "But … maybe I'll take a class or two here and there or just … go online for them, but I've been waiting _forever_ to be able to train _full time_ with my parents and bust bad guys and hunt down the Head of Hydra so I can stick an arrow in places." She drew in a deep breath and grinned with her eyes closed just before letting her breath back out in a big woosh. "… _I need this_ , America."

"My mom says there's a college for everyone if you want it," Mia opined. "You just have to find it."

'Oooh, hey, maybe that's what those Hydra creeps were really trying to do," America teased. "Maybe they want you for Hydra Technical College. You can major in Creepin' and falling in dumpsters."

Kate gasped and hit her in the shoulder. Hard. "You are _so_ not funny!"

"You love me, princess," America teased, laughing as Kate smacked her. "In that case, you're right. You can't major in being an Avenger if you're in Hydra." America grinned wider. "Probably _why_ they wanted you. So you can't be awesome against them."

"That's more like it," Kate said, crossing her arms.

"So … are you staying to be an _Avenger_ ," Mia said slowly, "or are you just using that as an excuse to be close to Nate until he graduates?"

"You … don't even get to try to pick that fight," Kate said, pointing a finger her way even as America chuckled. "You are _entirely_ too serious about your prince charming."

"As if you're not just waiting for _yours_ to turn eighteen and _propose_ ," Mia shot back.

"Don't project on me!" Kate shot back, then shifted focus again.

"I'm just reading the room," Mia said, her tail swaying as she and Kate prepared to play verbal volleyball.

"As long as no one has a reason to _need_ to get married at eighteen, how about _both of you_ maybe not be so stupid, hm?" America said. "You're both young! Live before you get yourself tied down to some drama factory."

"What's that supposed to-" Mia started, but America cut her off.

"How long you think your boy gonna live if you end up pregnant before you even graduate, chica?" America challenged, and when Kate looked delighted at the jibe, she turned on her too. "Same goes for you. How long you think this would last if you got yourself all _stuck_ with a Summers before _he's_ even tested out for his driver's license?"

"He's sixteen, he just hasn't finished-"

"Not my point," America said. "Just don't get pregnant. Either one of you."

Mia was silent for a long moment, and when she had nothing more clever to say, she shrunk in on herself. "Well that escalated quickly."

Kate had already waved America off in favor of offering Mia some big-sisterly advice. "You don't have to worry about me," she said dismissively. "I'm covered. But _you …_ I mean … serious moment before we pelt America with pillows and get some frozen yogurt … the twins _do_ have a crazy amount of drama around them … and considering that I _am_ seeing a Summers, that's really saying something that I can admit it's a lot of drama."

"It's not _that bad_ ," Mia defended.

"Okay, yeah, but … they are literally dealing with global level political drama. Are you okay with that? It's a lot. Like a lot a lot. And even James is a little wary of stepping in it and he's out there on the daily news with Tony."

"Most of the time. Sometimes it's about him stepping out with America's _sweetheart_ ," Mia said, just to rib America.

"And still … he's cautious," Kate said, keeping on track. "I'm serious. Those boys pull down _so much drama_. Dating a prince looks like some pretty complicated and enhaced drama."

Mia drew herself up importantly. "Yes. But I'm a _goddess_ , so it balances out," she said, smirking in a way that had America nodding along with her.

"She has a point, chica."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Fine. Then maybe you can tell me more about Tommy's super secret spy work that he did for your mom…"

"Because -"

"For _reasons_ related to me single handedly defeating Hydra for Uncle Steve! Think of how happy that would make him!"

Mia fell to pieces laughing at that, though. "Well okay, but first I have to tell you how he even got _recruited_ to be a double agent," she said, settling in on the arm of the couch for what already looked to be a dramatic retelling.

* * *

Scott's counseling sessions had tapered off to a much more relaxed and reasonable level … from daily sessions (except for Sundays) down to twice a week and though Scott knew he'd been moving forward, he had to wonder what it would be that would get the official green light from Craig to move out of Westchester so he didn't have to worry about his two teenage sons making the two-hour drive every day.

School was just around the corner for Nate, and for a moment, Scott thought maybe that would help his case before he waved it away mentally, _knowing_ that unless it was something that was likely to be entirely detrimental to his mental health that he'd move the family back _anyhow_. He felt as if he'd inconvenienced everyone more than enough already.

He checked his phone on the way into his appointment … still no word back on when Nate could finish his final driving test. He'd _more_ than logged in enough hours. A message from Rachel to remind him to come to the tower afterward … a photo from James to let him know he was boarding the plane to come home … and an email that Storm had sent to make sure Scott had it as proof of the offered jobs available at Xavier's school. As he opened the door to Craig's waiting room, he silenced his phone and put it in his pocket. As usual, Craig was at the reception desk double checking his roster for the day ahead as coffee brewed in his office.

"Good morning, Scott," Craig said, looking up at him with a pleasant smile. "I take it the kids are busy with their own schedules?"

"Yeah. As usual," Scott agreed, falling into his usual small talk with Craig just because it was easy for him to remember to open up when he had a way to start talking. "Rachel's at the tower and Nate's at practice already. I'm sure the press is reporting on James if you're curious."

"I may have seen the tech and entertainment section of the news this morning, yes," Craig said with a smile. "Hard to tell when one ends and the other begins lately."

"Pretty sure it's always been like that with anything regarding Tony Stark," Scott pointed out, drawing a quiet laugh out of Craig.

With a silent gesture for Scott to lead the way, the two of them disappeared into Craig's office, and within a few minutes, the two of them were seated and settling in for the session. The two of them did their usual run down as Craig arranged his notebook and got comfortable, and once they'd discussed the kids - which was a given subject - and how Scott's extended family was handling things, he finally dove in to the matter at hand before Scott could drop another hint on how much he wanted to get moved back to where life was easier on the kids.

"So, before we can discuss going back to you alone with the kids, I need to ask what your plans for _yourself_ are. Have you put any thought into what we discussed last time?"

"Quite a bit, actually," Scott said with a sigh. "I know there are a few options - and they all involve going back to what I used to do … in some capacity or another." Craig nodded, and Scott spoke up again before he could pose another question. "I'm considering _everything_ , but to be perfectly honest, I can't decide in a few days what I'm going to do for the rest of my life. I'm looking at things to try, I'm keeping an open mind, and I'm not rushing into _anything_. I want to be sure about what I'm doing before I commit to a half-plan."

"That's a reasonable response," Craig said. "But can you tell me, for my own peace of mind what one or two of those options are - so far?"

Scott sighed, but he'd been expecting this. "Believe it or not, I was considering the possibility of getting a teaching certificate. I taught before, but it would be nice to have the official credentials rather than just life experience."

"Well that's a good start," Craig said, looking surprised. "Would you be going back to Xavier's, then?"

"Most likely," Scott admitted. "There will always be a need for someone to walk those kids through how to handle their reactions to friendly and unfriendly non-mutants just like they'll need math class."

"That _is_ a needed position,' Craig said. "But I wonder if other schools might benefit from having someone on staff that had that kind of first hand knowledge."

"I think you're a little optimistic on how far we've come," Scott replied with a rueful smile, then gave Craig one more thing to consider. "In the meantime, while I try to figure it out, I'll be doing some guest lectures at the school over the course of the year. To see if I can still handle it."

"That's a good intermediate step," Craig said, smiling a little to himself. "So … I know the new school year is about to start, and I can only imagine that things will get to be a little busier for you and your family."

"In some ways, yes, and in others -"

"You'll need to be closer to school for their own safety," Craig said. "And I have to say, you've been making leaps and bounds in your progress … but we're not done yet and this transition - going back to the place you lived before when everything went south on you while stepping back from living with your chosen family… you can't miss _any_ of our appointments."

"Am I going back to daily sessions?" Scott asked, unsure how much progress he was making if Craig was upping his time in the office.

"Of course not - unless you find yourself needing it. You _have_ been making progress. And you need to move forward with your life, I just don't want to see you backslide from being in the same situation you were when it all started to really slide."

"So … we keep on our same schedule," Scott said slowly.

"Yes. Unless you need more time," Craig said, then paused as he closed his notebook. "Oh, and Scott … I'd like to meet your other children before they get too lost in the school year."

"I'll bring Nate with me next time," Scott promised.

"Perfect. Then it seems as if we're done for the day. Are you filling your time waiting for football to end?"

"He needs an appointment to take his final driving test," Scott said. "And I'm going to start prepping the house."

"Good. Then I'll see you in a few days - Thursday look good for you?"

"I'll be here - with Nate," Scott said before he got to his feet and left Craig's office behind him. When he left the office and took a seat in the car, he had to let out a breath. He was both relieved to hear things were going according to plan and freshly-stressed with the task of moving. Again.

But before he let himself get lost in the self-imposed, yet necessary to-do list, he headed for the house in Brooklyn to take stock and make a few phone calls while Nate was at practice. That kid was going to need his license soon enough.


	71. Dog Days of Summer

The Summers family was packing up their things in Westchester, diligently working away, though there were a few differences from one family member to the next.

While Nate was uncustomarily throwing everything into whatever box was nearest, James was taking his time … in large part because Billy was helping him and the two of them kept getting distracted. But neither of Scott's sons were prepared for Alex to burst into the door with a bright grin.

"Well that's three out of four nephews accounted for in one room," Alex said just before he grabbed Nate by the shoulder and pulled him into a bear hug. "Heard you guys were headed back to Brooklyn. Thought you might need an extra hand."

"Yes, please," Nate said, gesturing to James and Billy. "He's _so slow_ today. Light a fire. Please. I wanna get this done with."

"You want to get back to a more frequent schedule for sucking face with Katie," James said.

"No, I'm just tired of having to witness you two being … _you_ ," Nate argued, which had Billy doing his best to look entirely insulted.

Alex was still grinning brightly, even as James intervened. "We're doing fine, Uncle Alex. Dad might want some help though."

"Oh, I don't know about all that," Alex said before he dropped down between James and Billy, then threw an arm over each of their shoulders and winked at Nate. "I need to check in with you two. Especially after the rumors about you and your sist-"

"Alex, _stop_ ," James said, but Alex was already laughing. "That joke is already worn out and old."

"I'm just saying, you're doing really well to keep your circle small … I mean … you're both my nephews …"

"Ah, now I see," James said, nodding. "I forgot that the whole world revolves around Uncle Alex."

"That was the first mistake," Billy agreed as Alex laughed and pulled them both into a hug.

"So if you're going to be a fixture with _my_ side of the family," Alex said to Billy, "does that mean you'll be joining us in Hawaii for Christmas break and surfing?"

"That'll be up to Mom and Dad," Billy said, totally unsure of how to even answer that. "Are things settling down at home?"

Alex cringed. "I mean … things are up in the air for some people but we've got people on it. Catching Cortez and his crew was both good and bad for getting things to settle down." He made a noise from the back of his throat. "Hey. I am _not_ the guy to talk politics with. I'm the _fun_ uncle, remember?"

"Not a whole lot of other contestants," Billy pointed out.

"When you put it like that, he's also the worst uncle," James said.

"Alright, alright. Message received. I'll just go bother my big brother," Alex said before he got to his feet.

"I'm totally riding with you," Nate told Alex as he grabbed a full box. "Even if James is hogging the Mustang."

"I let you drive it more than I do," James laughed.

"No, no, it's fitting that you take the sports car to haul your clothes," Nate said, rolling his eyes. "I'm going to get things loaded so we can just _get on with it_."

"The car has a trunk," James defended. "And a back seat."

"And that still doesn't come close to Dad's truck," Nate said.

"More room than in the Jeep," Billy said helpfully, but Nate rolled his eyes and headed off with Alex, leaving him alone with his sweetheart. "You really are dragging today. You know I can get there in a blink, so what gives?"

"It's mostly to irritate Nate," James admitted as he set down the box in his hands and dropped down on his bed. "Normally I have this down to a science."

"Like everything else then, hmm?"

"I like things to work efficiently."

"Except when you _don't_." Billy settled in next to him for a moment. "Remind me again why I don't just wish it back to your house."

"Be-cause that would be an abuse of power or something," James said. "And it would get Nate into a _great_ mood if he didn't have to do this kind of work."

Downstairs, Alex had rushed to help Scott pack up the truck with Ororo supervising. It wasn't that there was a lot to move, but over the course of the summer, they'd all managed to slowly trickle in things they liked to have on hand.

"So," Ororo said as Scott made sure the boxes in the back of the truck were taped up. "You'll be back to lecture once a week, then - to start."

"Wednesday morning," Scott agreed.

"I can't believe it's taken you this long to go back to teaching," Alex said. " _Wow_. This place can finally get back up to snuff."

Ororo tutted and shoved Alex as he laughed good-naturedly. "As long as you aren't looking for a job, we'll be perfect."

Alex rested a hand over his heart. "Hurtful."

The boys came down carrying a few more boxes, and Ororo turned their way with a warm smile. "It's been nice having you all here at once," she said, only waiting long enough for them to set their boxes down before she pulled them over one at a time for a long, tight hug. "Don't be such strangers," she said before she gave both of them a kiss on the cheek. "If you do, I'll have to recruit you into working with the students." She smiled warmly. "They _all_ want to be X-Men now."

"Blame Kate," James said without missing a beat. "She was the one that organized the final push."

"And I would believe that if I didn't know any better," Ororo said, then kissed him again. "Take care of each other and check in soon."

"We will," the boys answered at the same time, which only had Alex grinning.

"How you got them to do that," he said to Scott, gesturing to Nate and James.

"They did it on their own," Scott said. "Just about as soon as Nate could halfway mimic James."

"And they _still_ do it," Alex said with a sigh. "Just like the twins when they were small."

"Oh, come on," Billy said, looking entirely unamused.

"Hey. I don't even need to hold back on either one of you. It's amazing," Alex said, then grinned at Nate. "Why don't you ride with your dad? I'll work your brother over for you."

"Who am I to refuse such an offer?" Nate teased. "We can order pizza tonight. Kate has this _great place_ -"

"Sure it won't be cutting in on your Kate time?" Alex asked. "Because I _need_ some Kate time, too."

"How long are you staying, Alex?" Scott asked with a grin, especially since Alex was acting very much like a broad, sweeping bomber hitting everyone in his path.

"I figured a week anyhow," he said. "More if my non-Summers nephews need some more intense supervision."

"Perfect," Scott said, smiling somehow wider. "We'll have to see if you can beat Angel's record with the kids."

"Oh, come on," Nate groaned, even as Scott redirected him. Things were looking up with the kids, even if both of the Elder Summerses were considering how bad it might be elsewhere.

* * *

**The team had been working hard even during the Summers' move. There had been ample time for them to spend pushing down support stateside for the so-called** **_New Acolytes_ ** **that had sprung up in the wake of Magneto's passing. The group had raised him to martyr status - particularly since it was never** **_publicized_ ** **how he'd died … and the rumor mill had been swift and creative. Particularly since the path** **_out_ ** **of Genosha was suddenly open for people to** **_leave_ ** **as well as to stay. It was keeping the team busy, and every time they heard a new rumor, James and Billy in particular refused to respond to anyone or answer any questions. In fact, they left all commentary on Genosha to Rachel, who had found a clever sound bite to cover them that both supported the** **_people_ ** **in Genosha and offered their sincere condolences on the royal family's loss: "Let's not sensationalize loss when people are still mourning, huh? If you want to talk about legacies, talk to the Genoshans working toward a future for all mutants, regardless of who stays on the island or not."**

It had been a busy week of dealing with press for James and wanna-be Acolytes for Rachel, so both had been looking forward to some down time away from strangers. Rachel in particular had truly been excited for her big date with Illyana, but … instead of spending a romantic evening, Rachel came in just before dinner, not even an hour into her date - and nearly threw her purse across the room as she took her shoes off.

"Something wrong, sis?" Nate asked with a lazy grin. Grounded or not, _he'd_ had a great day. He wasn't in the public eye, so he was allowed to live normally - _and_ he'd managed to talk James into taking a run with him... with James in an inducer so he could avoid interactions with strangers. And it had been a _long time_ since the boys had been able to do that together. It was also a step above the normal grounding Nate was _still_ suffering through for the crime of wanting to make his dad happy. "You look … less than pleased."

"Shut up, Nate,' Rachel shot back in a tone that was so much like their father it was almost laughable. Except for the fact that she was that mad. That was not funny at all.

"What did she do this time?" Nate asked, shifting to actually try to _help_ , since he knew Rachel was putting pressure on herself to find someone she _liked_ … and right now, who she thought was her most promising prospect was playing games.

"It's not...," Rachel ran a hand through her hair. "It's not _like that_. We're just not seeing eye to eye. She has her issues with wanting to be with her family and she can't decide if she wants to be here, or there, or … she even suggested that she might go to _Genosha_." Rachel dropped into the chair next to Nate. "The whole … queen of the underworld thing or whatever isn't all that great either. Our date was interrupted … _by actual demons._ "

"I don't know … that could be fun if you handled it right …" James said as he leaned against the counter with a glass of water.

Rachel waved him off and continued on. "It wasn't enough to be interrupted … when she got done doing her whole half demon thing, _Dr. Strange_ showed up and the two of them zipped off to who knows where with barely a 'I have to do this thing'," Rachel said, frowning. "I'm not saying I don't get it, but the way she talks down about everything on earth and everything we deal with compared to her whole _Magik_ thing … I'm just tired of feeling like she thinks we're being _childish_ by wanting to live and be normal."

Nate looked sympathetic as he took a hold of his sister's arm. "We were raised by a highly traumatized single father who made keeping us safe look _easy_ while the world has been hunting for us. We're mutants trying to earn the right to _live_ , you're host to an intergalactic world-destroying firebird, we're Avengers _and_ X-Men being heroes in our spare time and we're not even old enough to _drink_. Nothing can be normal for us."

"Right, but it's not _anything_ compared to 'I grew up in limbo after the X-Men let my big brother down before he abandoned us and everyone else to go live on Genosha.' followed by 'maybe I'll go live in Genosha, too'."

"She doesn't care that he _left_ Genosha?" James asked. "You know … after travel lightened up, obviously."

"I think she keeps bringing it up because she holds Dad responsible for Piotr leaving the family."

"Yeah … your girlfriend is crazy," Nate opined.

"We knew that before," Rachel said, then let out a breath. "I'm going to break up with her."

"Yeah, okay."

"No, I mean it. As soon as she gets back from the tea party in Hell with Strange - or whatever - I'm letting her know I'm done. I just …I can't deal with someone that tries to make me feel small because she thinks _her_ mission in life is so much more vital than everyone else's."

"Are you okay with that?" James asked, knowing full well how hard on herself Rachel was when it came to her romantic interests … especially considering how anxious Rachel was about stepping out with a girl.

"I mean … if I don't split with her, she'll just run me over," Rachel said. "And I need to stay on top of things to deal with the Phoenix and keep my control in check. She might be saving Limbo, but I'm trying to keep our planet from being consumed by the Phoenix. We all have our problems and Illyana doesn't seem to realize it's not a _contest_."

"It's because she's the youngest," James said as he came over and kissed the top of her head. "Nate and Tommy both do it, too."

Rachel snorted at the look on Nate's face. "I thought the twins were the same age?"

"I mean … likely. It's even possible that it's Billy that's younger, but it irritates Tommy to think he might be in second place, so I run with it," James said before he handed her a glass of ice water.

"Nate doesn't do that anymore," Rachel said with a small smile Nate's way.

"Not to you, no," James agreed. "But he doesn't have anything to complain about. He's been catching up on his required driving time and winning money off of me for _weeks_."

Rachel's eyebrow lifted and her smile made a reappearance at the subtle shift in conversation. "Oh, _has he_ now?"

"Sure has," James said with a smirk. "I've been betting on Dad _not_ following the matchmaker."

"Oh _really_?"

"I told you they're a good match," Nate defended. "She's smart and funny and _pretty_ … and she genuinely cares. A lot."

"Yeah, we gathered as much from her checking up on you mid-summer," James said as he sat on Rachel's other side as she snickered.

The three of them were getting into fine form, picking back and forth when Scott came in, smiling to himself when he saw all three of his kids in good moods together. That had been happening more and more often since the incident in Genosha, to his surprise. It was enough to lift Scott's spirits, even if Rachel had been hyper aware of Scott's moods to the point that he was sure she was barely holding back from slipping through his defenses - and only because she didn't want to upset him by barging into his mind to check on him.

The boys had been concerned, too - but they showed it in different ways. Nate had been pushing to spend more time with Scott, and James had been keeping out of both of his sibling's way while also trying to pretend like he wasn't still fighting with the trauma of that trip to Genosha - pretending to be fine so his siblings could get the help and attention they needed first.

Billy wasn't at the house for his standing date with James _yet_ , but he had nearly moved in now that he knew where they actually lived and earned an open invite from Scott. Scott hadn't been entirely on board to start with, but he'd seen early on that Billy had been wildly helpful when James started having issues with insomnia and vivid nightmares about killing Magneto and all that went with it. And even now, months later, Scott would catch James staring off at nothing and absently rubbing the spot where Magneto had stabbed him in the heart, so in spite of the fact that his middle child was going to regular therapy and throwing himself into his work in every aspect, Scott could see that the stress was getting to him from everything surrounding the Genosha incident and Stark's announcement. So Scott was watching out for him in any way he could - and that included being a little more liberal about James' time with Billy.

So moments like this - when it was just the four of them with no one else around - were rare and welcome.

Scott sat down across from Rachel with a smile as the boys got started bringing dinner to the table for a quiet family meal … just the four of them before school officially started and changed _everyone's_ schedules.

* * *

The first day of school couldn't have been more perfect. The sun was shining, the temperature was still warm enough for shorts and short skirts and Kate was in a _great mood_ going into the first day of her last year of high school. Everything was looking up. She was an Avenger _and_ an X-Man, after all - fully and totally confident in how awesome she was with some mad skills that _anyone_ would be jealous of. And it totally didn't hurt that she was dating the hunkiest guy on the football team either. Or that said hunky football player was carrying her bag and telepathically making plans for after football practice.

Ten minutes in the school and the day was looking _great_. Already she had a date lined up _and_ her classes were with her favorite teachers _all day long_. It was going to be a perfect senior year.

She and Nate parted company with a not-quite appropriate kiss before they separated to go to their respective home rooms, and as she slipped into her homeroom - that was being led by the coolest math teacher in the school - she smiled the teacher's way then headed over to find a seat near the windows. She'd dropped her bag and slipped into the desk - smiling at her fellow cheerleaders nearby, but before she could pull out her notebook to doodle, a new kid met her gaze with a cocky smile and headed right for her.

He slipped into the seat behind her, and though she had no plans to talk to him, he broke the ice first.

"I take it you're not new," he said, leaning toward her with a crooked smile.

"Nope," Kate replied, turning in her seat so she could see who she was talking to, then she extended her hand to him. "Kate Barton. Welcome to our happy little borough."

"What makes you think I'm not local and just changing schools?" he asked, grinning at her.

"Call it a hunch," she said, even if she didn't tell him what she knew - that his upper crust accent didn't match the people around them at _all_. She raised an eyebrow waiting for him to introduce himself too.

"Not a bad hunch," he said, but didn't offer his name as the bell rang and the teacher started his welcome speech.

Kate turned in her seat, a little irked that the boy didn't know basic manners, but it wasn't like she had long to wait for his name when the teacher started calling attendance. She didn't turn to watch him though. And because he _looked_ like the type that wouldn't speak up … just raise his hand when his name was called, Kate watched the reflection in the window to discover exactly how cool this _Daniel DuBois_ thought he was.

Like she suspected, he didn't speak up … and she was feeling pretty smug that he'd done what she'd thought he would do. _What an idiot_ , she thought to herself, deciding that anyone that wouldn't bother to introduce himself to her properly probably wasn't worth her time.

So when she was listening to Mr. Rodriguez go through the finer points of what to expect their senior year, she was irritated when the new kid started pestering her by tapping her shoulder. She shifted in her seat, trying to make it clear to him without openly acknowledging him that she didn't want to talk to him, but that wasn't enough to get him to back off, so when he did it again, she shot him a withering glare over her shoulder before turning back forward.

"Hey. Kate," Danny said. "Katherine." No answer. "Katie." An irritated shift as she crossed her arms. "Kitty. Kit-Kat."

"Mr. DuBois," Mr. Rodriguez said, which got him to stop and also got everyone but Kate to turn his way. "If you have a question, raise your hand. I would have thought that you'd know that by your senior year."

Snickers erupted around the classroom and Kate smirked to herself as the new _creep_ got called out.

"Sorry, Mr. Rodriguez," Danny said. "I was just trying to see if Miss Barton could direct me to my next class. I don't know where I'm going."

"If you need directions, bring your schedule to me when the bell rings and I'll help you," Mr. Rodriguez said, then directed the conversation back to the plans for the Homecoming game and the dance that was to follow.

When the bell rang, Kate was out of her seat like a shot, her bag over one shoulder and her notebook held to her chest in an effort to get away from the new kid and to her next class before _Danny DuBois_ could be a bother. And she thought for sure History was going to be _great_ because it was one of the few classes she had with Nate.

As usual, Ms Hale had set up a seating chart, and Kate checked it, with Ms Hale smiling at her all the while … which is when she saw that she and Nate were seated next to each other. She smiled up at Ms Hale brightly. "I knew I liked you."

"The feeling's mutual," Ms Hale said, shooing her to go sit down - and Kate did, nearly skipping over to sit by Nate, who was grinning at her. The two of them did their best to look nonchalant while they dove in to a telepathic conversation recapping how their home rooms had gone … and as she was telling him about the new creeper, said creeper stepped into the classroom. He paused as Ms Hale directed him to his seat - two rows over from Nate and Kate - and when he saw Kate, he smiled crookedly at her.

 _I think the new guy has a crush_ , Nate teased.

 _He's_ awful _,_ Kate projected back. _And probably a stalker._

 _He couldn't have picked out the homeroom_ , Nate pointed out. _And I doubt he got in this class on purpose._

 _You don't know that,_ Kate answered. _My mother would have a problem with your outlook._

_Do you want me to peek at him?_

_If you think I can't figure it out on my own._

_I would prefer to just get it out of the way and be done with it so we can focus on more interesting things than the new guy with a crush._ Nate gave her a troublemaking look, but it only lasted for a few seconds before he frowned lightly and glanced over at he new kid. "Okay…"

"What?" Kate asked quietly, leaning toward him.

"Nothing," Nate said, but then projected what he knew. _I can't really … it's like there's interference when I try to read him._

 _Okay that is weird._ Kate frowned, looking toward the front of the room as Ms Hale started to pull class into session. There wasn't much to say - it wasn't normal for Nate to have trouble, so either _Mr. DuBois_ was a mutant with some kind of blocking ability, or he was wearing some sort of tech that kept him from being infiltrated by telepaths. And considering how _powerful_ of a telepath Nate was, that … didn't make any sense.

Ms. Hale called the class to order and in no time, both Nate and Kate were doing their best to feign attentiveness as they listened to her lecture on the start of the industrial revolution. But … after History class, Kate realized quickly that _Mr. DuBois_ was again following her. This time to French. And again after that class to English. In fact … outside of the _huge break_ where he ended up in a different lunch hour (and class directly after) the kid was in every one of Kate's classes, and as the day wore on, he became more bold in how close he was sitting with her. Except of course, for Gym class in last hour.

She'd been looking forward to a last-hour gym class … especially since she had fencing club directly after and whatever passed for High School required athletics ended up being a decent weak warm up for a Hawkeye on _two_ super hero teams. Thankfully, the boys and girls were split for gym class, but … after school? The fencing club was small enough that the boys got to try their luck against the girls.

So it was just Kate's luck that the DuBois kid chose her to be his sparring partner. "You don't mind fencing a gentleman do you?"

"Not at all," Kate said brightly. "Have you seen any around here?" She smiled brightly before pulling down her guard, then took up position, ready to start. She wasn't expecting him to give her a decent fight though.

They started out formally enough, and the first few points were lobbed back and forth easily enough, but after his first halfway dirty move, Kate dug in to play dirty _herself_.

It wasn't long before their sanctioned match shifted to a much less regulated affair moving well outside of the boundaries they needed to remain inside of. The teacher was shouting for them to stop, but neither one of them was willing to give it a rest _at all_. Not until there was a clear winner.

If DuBois hadn't been such a pain all day, Kate would have been impressed. She was pulling out moves that the fencing instructor definitely hadn't taught anyone - they were her dad's. And DuBois matched them. His style was so similar to hers that neither of them could get the upper hand, which meant whoever taught him was good.

So yeah, she would have been impressed if he wasn't a total _tool_.

They danced around each other, matching footwork and placement and blows and completely ignoring the instructor until, at last, Kate thought she saw an opening. She lunged and scored a touch - at the exact same time he got under her defenses during the lunge for a touch of his own.

For a long time, they stared at each other, chests heaving, neither removing their blades, neither blinking - until the instructor physically got between them and chewed them out. Not that either of them was listening. They still hadn't broken eye contact.

DuBois had a crooked, cocky grin on that Kate wanted to wipe off his face. And for her part, she didn't realize that she was giving him a look that, if anyone knew Natasha, showed _exactly_ who had raised her.

* * *

"You know, I think your doctor may be on to something," Ororo said as she and Scott sat in traffic after a session with Craig Hale. "But not how he thinks. I know he's been a good person to talk to, but I don't know if he realizes what precisely it is that you face."

Scott took his gaze off of the road to turn toward Ororo. "Alright, I'll bite," he said slowly. "What's he right about this time? He already had you doing a full rotation on me over the summer. And he's pulled the kids in more than once for each of them."

"He thinks you need a new purpose, but what if that's not what you actually _need_?" Ororo asked. "I think rather than search out something derivative, you need to go back to your _roots_."

Scott smirked, unable to resist the tease after a long session of talking about exactly that. "Well, 'Ro, if you think I should be a space pirate…"

"If you think you can pull off the boots, I encourage you to try," Ororo countered. "But I was thinking more down to earth and far more _essential._ "

Scott understood her implication all too well and turned his face forward again. "I don't know," he said quietly. "I can help; you know I'd be willing to do whatever you and the kids need me to do even beyond the lectures. But Graydon Creed took the part of me away that was _useful_ for that. I can't do what I used to do."

"I think, Scott … that perhaps you may need to take some time to think about what you used to do that didn't require that particular ability."

He gestured with one hand. "Like I said, I'm willing to help. I already gave the kids every bit of advice I could think of, and I'd even be willing to run some sims if Forge is done upgrading the Danger Room _again_."

"Good. Then there is one area that our young X-Men need severe training in that you excelled at. But I don't know that _sims_ would be helpful considering it would require field work, and lots of flying."

Scott couldn't help but smile. "Oh, you need a taxi pilot?" he teased.

"In a crude manner of speaking, yes," she agreed. "Children in need of relocation … the numbers are only going up."

"Ah." Scott nodded slowly, finally understanding. He was quiet as he thought about it, already nodding his agreement before his conscious mind had caught up to his decision. "You're right. They don't have experience with that. Not after spending their whole lives in secrecy."

"James seems to be learning with trial by fire, but I believe at least right now, he'd _attract_ attention that wouldn't be helpful at all right now. Even if he is as much a natural at gaining trust that his parents were." Ororo smiled. "The others, though …"

Scott drummed his fingers along the dashboard. "Alright," he said slowly. "Alright. I can take them in turns on pickups. That much I can do."

"Good," she said, nodding to herself. "I know they'll appreciate your methods once they _learn_ them."

"I did learn from the best," Scott said with a quiet sort of smile, thinking of how he and Jean had often accompanied Charles when he would go speak to a new mutant when the team was fresh.

"And you taught all of us," Ororo pointed out.

Again, Scott was quiet as he considered her proposal. "It would be nice," he said at last, slowly, "being Cyclops again." He hadn't realized how much he _missed_ it when the possibility of returning hadn't even been a glimmer in the distance, but this brought that dream right back to the surface of his thoughts, when he was a kid and trying to make a difference, like his own children were now.

"Then, I'll leave it to you to decide when you want to tell them," Ororo said. "Or if you'd rather you can always simply show up and lay down the law."

Scott laughed. "Why don't we wait until a call comes in," he suggested. "And I'll take whoever is available. Can't schedule these things, if I remember the rushing around right," he added, smirking her way.

"You'd be surprised at how close we're getting to be able to," Ororo laughed.

"With Rachel and Betsy working together, I feel like I shouldn't be."

"You shouldn't," Ororo agreed, smiling at him and relaxing slightly knowing that she might yet get her old friend back.

* * *

The crowd for the first football game of the season wasn't as full as it had been in years past - largely in part to the fact that there were still _other_ sports being played that had some parents attention split - but that meant it wasn't the rowdiest of crowds for Scott to meet up with Annie. It was only going to get more loud and busy with every game, so this really was the best case scenario for the two of them to get a chance to spend some time without any real pressure.

Scott didn't see his kids there - Nate was in the locker room, and James wasn't likely to show - even if he did, it would be in an image inducer from here on anyhow. But Scott knew _Rachel_ had already arrived. She was on a blind date Mia had suggested after Rachel had split ways with Ilyanna, so Scott hoped for her sake that things went well. They were both trying new things and trying to open themselves up - and they were sadly too similar in this particular aspect of their lives. Neither of them were good at dating.

In Scott's defense, _his_ excuse was that he'd found the right girl early on and hadn't _needed_ to do this kind of thing when they were in each other's minds nearly from the word 'go'. But that only meant that everything that had to do with flirting or dating was that much harder to manage. He'd never really learned how to translate the subtle flirting cues very well.

But Scott somehow wasn't surprised when he found Annie to see that she'd been delayed meeting up with him because one of her former students had run up to her to hug her and chat with her. But that also meant that when he did approach them, he had a teenager giggling as she flounced away to tell her friends that Ms. Hale had a _hot date_. So that was new.

"Oh, ignore them," Annie said, even if she was nearly as pink as he was. "You know how teenagers are."

"I do," Scott said. "Can't say I've personally experienced the scrutiny of students for being with a favorite teacher in a football crowd, but…"

Annie blushed brightly, then cleared her throat. "Did you want to find a seat near or away from your kids? I know they're probably here to root Nate on. He was talking about them earlier."

"James isn't showing and Rachel is on a blind date, so I think she'd rather not have her dad in the same county, let alone in the same game." He smirked lightly. "She'll reach out if she needs a ride home."

"Alright then," she tried to hold back the smile, but failed spectacularly. "Lead the way."

They were able to find good seats that weren't too close to some of the loudest fans, though Scott cheated a little and did a few quick scans to see which attendees had brought alcohol in with them along with his usual scan for weapons or other trouble. There was a small group toward the front with a girl wearing an inducer, according to his scan, but they all seemed to be keeping to themselves. And while it was perfect for quiet, Scott also found himself drifting that way because, well, he _had_ been talking about the team with Craig lately about the possibility of rejoining the staff as more than just an occasional guest lecturer. So, he was starting to get back into old habits there, too.

"So have you decided yet?" Annie asked.

Scott blinked. "Sorry?" He'd been watching the crowd.

"You'd said before that you weren't sure what you were going to do once Nate graduated," Annie explained. "So I was wondering if you'd made any progress or gotten any ideas since going back to what you did before doesn't sound like it was too attractive a concept." she smiled wider. "So … have you come up with any ideas? Anything I can help with?"

Scott almost laughed, considering the one option he _had_ pursued. The woman was intuitive. "I… have been guest lecturing, actually," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh?" Annie said almost airily. "Are you going to be a motivational speaker, then?"

Scott very nearly laughed, though he kept it back because he knew Annie didn't have the history to know why that was funny. "Not really, no."

"Then how about you let me in on the joke?" she was smiling along with him and trying to gently engage him in a little discussion. Even if he did find her hilarious over nothing.

"I'd very much like to," Scott said. "But the joke depends entirely on you knowing the kinds of lectures I used to give, and we're in public. And like I already told you, the old job isn't exactly something I can share with the whole world."

"Maybe later, then. Or another date- _day_. Another day." She straightened up and tried to hide the growing blush that threatened to quickly overtake how _pale_ she'd gone at her slip.

But Scott couldn't help but smile. "Maybe."

Annie was blushing brightly as she turned her attention to the field. "Your son will probably have scouts looking for him before long," she said, trying to shift the subject to something more _safe_ , since she was slipping up and amusing him - likely in all the wrong ways.

"He'd love that," Scott said. "I'd be interested to see what team he picks."

"Is he considering playing college ball, then?" Annie asked, seizing on the subject.

"He's still trying to decide what he wants to do," Scott admitted. "There's several options."

"I did ask him, but he keeps saying he wants to be like _you_ , then flounces off."

Scott almost smirked and barely caught himself before he said that meant Nate had picked a team, but he could see how desperately Annie was trying not to steer into private jokes again. So, instead, he simply nodded. "So you're telling me that he wants a future of jobs you can't talk about and awkward conversations with people you don't want to be awkward with. Poor kid."

She shook her head at him and pushed her hair back behind her ears. "I should let you pick the subject, then."

Scott fell silent, considering how best to backtrack. He wasn't entirely sure how they'd managed to get stuck like that, but he _was_ sure that he actually wanted to talk to her. So, as he usually did when he was trying to ease tension, he went for a little truth, hoping that Annie wouldn't feel like he was completely shutting her down. "Here," he said, drawing her attention before he switched the settings on the cybernetic eyes. Almost every setting kept them the same blue color, but there was a nearly-green setting that had night vision as well as a feed of information. Most of it fed into his visual cortex, but when he used it, it looked like his eyes were glowing slightly - albeit green instead of his old red.

"Oh." Annie said in a soft tone, then nodded slowly. "Yes. Well. I can understand the need for secrecy."

The crowd swelled with a collective gasp as whistles blew all across the field when Nate lost his focus from the game with all the eavesdropping he was doing - and got himself hit pretty solidly because of it.

_Nathaniel Christopher-_

_Yeah, yeah._ Nate's mental voice sounded strained; it really had been a rough hit.

_If you're going to be eavesdropping the whole game-_

_If I say yes, will you take her somewhere private?_

_Nate._

_Warn a guy before you drop a bombshell - just saying!_

_Nate, keep your mind to yourself and get back that yardage._

_I'm working on it._

"Oh, I hope he's alright," Annie said, leaning forward with her hands clasped underneath her chin.

"He'll be fine," Scott said. "He's just distracted."

Misunderstanding what Scott meant, Annie looked toward the cheerleaders and saw Kate leaning partway over one of her friends to check on Nate. "Oh, he has it bad, doesn't he?"

Scott smiled to himself. "He sure does."

"I hope you're prepared," Annie said, not bothering to hide how amused she was.

"Not at all."

"Well, at least you're honest," Annie laughed. "I'd have laughed if you said you were. I don't think anyone ever is, really."

"I've got three that seem to be racing," Scott said. "No one can prep for that."

"I don't think I've heard _too much_ about the other two, really. I know Nate talks about his big brother being in love and doing big things, but he doesn't say much beyond that. When he does talk about his brother and sister, it's always glowing, though. You can tell he thinks the world of them."

"They're good kids," Scott said. "And they've always looked out for one another."

"I can tell," Annie said. "They must have learned that from you."

Scott cleared his throat, red-faced and without a response - until he realized that Kate had missed a cue when she was supposed to jump to the top of a pyramid. She was looking their way and grinning, and even though she did, belatedly, get in place, Scott knew instantly that Nate was broadcasting what was going on to her.

He shook his head. "I think Nate and Kate are spying on us," he told Annie, gesturing toward Kate - who blatantly waved their way, knowing full well she was caught.

"I'm not sure _how_ ," Annie said. "But if they're distracting you, maybe we should take a raincheck. Or … just call it. You have your hands full with those _two_."

Scott shook his head as he got up and offered her his hand. "They're the distracted ones," he said. "And I'd hate to let their hijinks ruin a night out. Why don't we grab something to eat and get away from the crowd instead?"

"Are you sure you'd be alright missing some of the game?"

"I'd rather Nate focus on his game and avoid a concussion," Scott said.

Annie tried and failed not to laugh. "Alright then. They're probably going to win anyhow."

"Yeah, we have a good team this year," Scott agreed, smiling as Annie took his hand and they grabbed some popcorn to eat far beyond the crowd. He blatantly ignored the fact that there were teenage couples looking for privacy as well, instead projecting to Nate how grounded he was and warning him to keep his head in the game before cutting him off with a _strong_ telepathic shield.

He was going to have to talk to Nate when they got home. Especially since he wanted to invite Annie to another game to try for a better impression, and he didn't want Nate getting hurt again because he had his mother's penchant for _peeking_.

"Sorry about Nate," Scott said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You don't have anything to apologize for," Annie said with a bright smile. "It's not your fault he's overly distracted by his girlfriend."

Scott decided not to correct her as he sat down with her on one of the benches beyond the fencing. "Like I told you before, they're both trouble," he said. "But at least we got out of the crowd."

"We did, didn't we?" Annie said, her eyes sparkling. "Maybe next time, we can go somewhere just the two of us so you don't think you need to censor yourself or watch out for your distracted little boy."

Scott turned her way with one eyebrow raised and an almost disbelieving smirk at the corner of his mouth. "Next time, huh?"

"Mm-hmm."

Scott smirked fully as he watched her smile. She really was pretty. "You're the one working full time. What night works best for a quiet dinner, then?"

Annie broke into a full grin before she leaned forward and stole a kiss Scott had _almost_ been expecting but was still surprised by. "So, Wednesday night?" she asked, blushing bright pink but smiling even wider than before.

"I'll be there," he agreed after a much longer silence than he'd meant to give her; he was still a little surprised, since he'd actually meant to kiss _her_. So, he leaned forward to kiss her back.

* * *

All things considered, Nate knew he was absolutely grounded, and Scott took him straight home after the game, outlining the whole time how he expected Nate to stay _out_ of Annie's head and not take advantage of her lower defenses to spy on their date when Scott shut him out. He was sure to make it clear how it was _not_ appropriate to loop in his girlfriend for said spying, either.

"But … I was right," Nate said. "So that should count for something, I'm _pretty sure_."

"Nate, that only counts for so much when you couldn't even focus on your game because of your spying," Scott shot back.

"It was the first game of the season," Nate reasoned. " _No one_ was focused."

"Uh-huh." Scott gave him a dry look.

"You're just mad because _I was right_."

"Nate, I'm mad because I can't even take the woman to your games because you're eavesdropping and distracted!"

"But you _are_ going to take her out, aren't you? I didn't peek for that part - she was broadcasting."

"Yes, we're going out again."

Nate threw both arms in the air. "Then I was right! Worth it!"

"Go to your room, Nate," Scott said, pinching the bridge of his nose as he threw his keys on the kitchen counter.

"Oh, come on," Nate said, unable to stop the smile. "This is big news. Like … _really_ big news."

"I'm glad you think so. You're still grounded."

"What happened?" James asked from the living room with his feet kicked up since he'd stayed home with Billy for _another_ movie night. Even after a year, Billy claimed he wasn't caught up on the good stuff yet. "Did you make out with the fifty yard line again?"

"Nate thinks he can get away with eavesdropping on my date," Scott said. "Using someone else's mind without her permission when it's not an emergency is bad enough."

"Creepy," James said, sounding perfectly unbothered.

Scott gestured wordlessly to James and then pointed at Nate. "Room. Now."

"But he hasn't heard how it _went_ ," Nate argued, still grinning as he stood next to Scott facing his brother. "And there are big points to be discussed."

"Like what?" James asked, shifting to sit more upright, even as Scott looked more irritated. "Did that big linebacker finally do something more than slapping your butt? Don't need to be a telepath to read _that_ look." he said, and Billy snerked loudly.

Scott smirked. "No, but Nate tried to add another concussion to his record while eavesdropping during the game."

"Hawkeye is rubbing off," James pointed out.

"She better not be for her dad's blood pressure's sake," Billy whispered loudly enough everyone still heard it.

"Uh-oh," James sang out. "Too late."

"Yeah, that's less important than Dad willingly admitting to someone that he's a mutant," Nate shot back. "Just so he could talk to her more openly, too," he added, grinning wider with every word.

James stared at both of them for a moment ."Nuh-uh."

"He absolutely did. Didn't you, Dad?" Nate grinned triumphantly.

Scott shrugged, one hand on the back of his neck. "Not in so many words, no."

"Shut _up_ ," James said.

"He so did, so pay up," Nate preened. "Called it!"

James looked between Nate and their dad with an expression of disbelief, then half-grumbled as he took his wallet out. "No freakin' way." He was shaking his head to himself as he opened up the wallet and counted out three hundred dollar bills, folded them in half, then handed them to Nate with Billy and Scott both frowning between the two brothers.

"Ah, don't put that away just yet … we're not done," Nate said as he pocketed the cash.

"Oh, come on. What _else_?" James asked, blatantly ignoring the look that Scott _and_ Billy were giving them.

"For _starters_ , she's a _huge_ flirt," Nate said.

"Not much of a bet when I don't know her," James said, even as he pulled out a twenty, though to Scott, James' expression was overly familiar to one that Logan used to wear often when he was up to something.

"That's your fault for taking the bet, isn't it?" Nate pointed out with a grin. "But … she totally kissed him first. And I called _that_."

Scott stared between the two of them as James shook his head and counted out more cash. "You're betting on ..."

"I bet on _you_ ," James said, though Scott saw that this time, the cash in hand wasn't as heavy as it had been for the _first_ bet. "He said she was old-fashioned. I figured that meant you'd make the first move."

"I knew better," Nate said, before he darted up the stairs to try and avoid _more_ time on his grounding.

"You shouldn't be _betting_ on any of this!" Scott pointed out, shouting up the stairs after Nate.

"Dad," James said flatly. "No matter who wins these bets - you're winning anyhow. No one's betting you'll stop seeing her. It's harmless."

"Have you two been betting since …"

"Since the first practice you went to," James said.

"How many have _you_ won?" Scott asked, but James shrugged openly, trying to ignore the question. "How much money have you _lost_ , James?"

James looked up at him with a perfectly flat, unreadable expression … then simply arched one eyebrow slightly, but refused to answer as he stared back. But that was just another incredibly familiar expression that Scott hadn't seen in _years_.

"James. You can't … that doesn't really-" Scott cut himself off with a weary sigh. "Stop betting on my relationship."

James continued to stare at Scott, but didn't respond one way or another until Scott grumbled and left, leaving James and Billy to finish out their movie in relative peace. But Billy had gotten curious, too. "You know those bets are entirely lopsided, right?" Billy said quietly as he set the popcorn down on the coffee table.

"Yeah, I know."

"And you know he's _probably_ cheating somehow."

"He can't get into Dad's head unless Dad lets him in," James argued, then tapped his temple. "Strong defenses."

"Yeah, I know, but not … _she_ doesn't have strong defenses."

"True."

'And you've never even _met_ her."

"Also true."

"How many bets with him have you _won_?"

James turned toward Billy with a crooked smirk, sighed, and kissed him. "Don't worry about it."

"This is very much not like you," Billy said, frowning at James, but James just pulled on his hand. "What happened to the highly competitive thing you have going with him."

"Hey. Let's go somewhere."

"Where?"

"Somewhere _private_." James gave him a raised-eyebrow look. "So we can _talk_."

Billy wrinkled up his nose. "Why are you trying to-"

When James saw Billy wasn't going to be distracted until he _knew_ something, he pulled Billy into a kiss, then kept him close so he could whisper to him. "Don't make a big thing out of it, okay? I know what I'm doing."

"If you want to give your brother money, you could just give it to him."

"If I did that," James whispered just loud enough for Billy to hear as his lips nearly brushed his ear, "he'd take it as an insult and I want to be _sure_ he can afford to get Katie the ring she _deserves_."

Billy blinked and then broke into a slow grin that kept getting wider. "If she ever realizes you did that…"

"She won't. Because _you_ won't tell her."

Billy held up a hand in a gesture of peace. "I'm just saying… if Nate figures it out, you can bet Kate will know, and she'll kiss you full on the mouth and I might die of jealousy or something."

"Or something is more like it. That would _never_ happen. Ever. Anywhere. Even if she lost her mind momentarily, that'd be like Tommy kissing _you_."

"Eww, why'd you put that mental image in my head?"

"Because you put Kate kissing me out there. Turnabout is fair play."

Billy rolled his eyes and then settled in beside James, then pointedly shoved a big handful of popcorn in James' mouth. "I can't even look at you right now."

"That didn't take long," James mumbled, though he pulled Billy in a little tighter. "Ready to scope out the new talent already?"

Billy laughed and tried to keep his gaze on the television. "Yeah, just gotta find someone perfect again. Should be easy."

"I mean … your bar is _low_."

"Lies. I have high standards. The _very_ highest."

"You're wrong, but I'm okay with that."

"Yeah, go ahead and think I'm wrong, but when you're the prince's consort and the sexiest man alive at the same time…"

James shook his head and shoved a handful of popcorn in Billys' mouth. "Hush."

Billy grinned around the popcorn as best he could. "Mmf," he said, which was completely unintelligible, but enough to get him a smile and a kiss on the cheek as they re-started their movie.


End file.
